One Piece: True Treasure
by Yozora no Hoshi
Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. Follows anime, OCx?
1. I'm Gonna Be King of the Pirates

**One Piece: True Treasure**

This is my first time writing a Fanfiction, so I could use constructive criticism, but remember, there's a wide margin between that an utter bashing.

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder. OC, follows anime. OCx?

There will be crossovers with other animes later on. And remember, One Piece belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. No profit is being made off of this Fanfiction, please support the official release.

~~風~~

Chapter 1: I'm Gonna Be King of the Pirates!

_I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships changes, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea- whether it is to sail or to watch it- we are going back from whence we came…John F. Kennedy._

~~風~~

_Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece._

_Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea._

"_You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"_

_And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age._

~~風~~

The mid-day sun hung perfectly in the impossible blue sky, the clouds drifting almost lazily as the crossed the perfect pallet. Sea gulls wheeled through the air and called merrily in the refreshing sea's breeze. A whirlpool sucked in ocean water into it shadowy gull, promising certain death to any that were swept up inside. Nearby, an elegant cruise ship ferried across the East Blue Ocean. Two sailors leaning against the railing watched the whirlpool with worried fascination, slightly nervous about being swallowed up. A sudden 'clack' caught one of their attentions, glancing down before jabbing his companion's arm. Bobbing in the crystal clear waters was a huge wooden barrel, apparently separated from whatever ship had been carrying its cargo.

While the two of them were surprised and concerned if a ship had drifted too close to the whirlpool, probably the reason why this barrel was here, they were more interested if there was any _sake_ as its contents. Together, they decided to catch the barrel and bring it onboard, hoping to wet their gullets.

~~風~~

Inside the cruise ship, dozens of passengers were enjoying themselves in the dance hall as a band provided music. There, they conversed, danced, and dined on rich food and fine wine, awed by the luxury the ship had to offer. One group was gathered around the ship's captain, who was promising their safety despite the whirlpool, assuring them they were a good distance away.

Meanwhile, a pretty woman in her late teens with short tangerine locks stood next to the large windows, her cinnamon brown eyes fixated on the sea, eyeing a distant island in particular. She wore a lovely cream-collared dress and red accessories. She seemed captivated by the ocean view, blending in with the aristocratic crowd, despite the fact that she wasn't actually a passenger.

"Miss?" Turning her head, she found a handsome youth next to her, holding a hand out to her. "May I have this dance?" he inquired, tilting his head to one side. She smiled sweetly with a nod, deciding to indulge the man while she waited.

~~風~~

Back on the deck, one of the sailors was swinging a hook attached to a rope above his head before shucking it down to the barrel. His shot went wide, however, leading his skinner friend to chuckle at his misfortune.

"Not again…"

"Batter out!"

From above in the crows next, another sailor shouted down, "You suck man, just give it up!" Suddenly, as though alerted by some higher being, the lookout turned his head towards the distant island. His friends, meanwhile, had finally managed to snag the barrel and were busy pulling the rope to raise it.

"Damn! This thing is heavy!"

"Must be filled with a lot of _sake _then!" the other said with a slight grimace, irritated by the extreme weight. The barrel itself was lightweight, but the contents were ridiculously heavy. It felt like there were two people inside for crying out loud! Still, the two were very pleased with their catch, eager to have a taste of its contents.

The lookout, however, had a look of utter horror on his face, his jaw slack. For, behind the island, came one of the greatest horrors known to any ship…a ship bearing the Jolly Roger!

The ship itself was probably smaller than the cruise ship, but it looked much deadlier due to the dozen cannons equipped to the boat. It seemed oddly girlish, due to its painted pink hull, swan-shaped figurehead, and even the Jolly Roger was customized, the skull turned sideways with a pinkish-red heart emblazed on it. But that made it easy to identify exactly who was the captain of the ship.

"Ship off to the starboard stern!" the lookout shouted, his hat flying off. "There's a pirate flag on its mast!"His two friends panicked, abandoning their barrel to run like headless chickens as he called out, "It the Alvida pirate ship! Enemy raid! Enemy raid!"

The pirate ship in question began to fire cannonballs at the cruise ship, all going wide and striking the water around the ship, but they never the less caused a great deal of turmoil. Due to the sudden waves created as backlash, the passengers in the dancing hall staggered about, screams filling the air. The orange haired girl was abandoned by her cowardly partner as the two sailors burst into the room, shouting, "Captain, it's pirates!"

The captain ordered for everyone to be calm, but people were panicking, running around in horror to reach the exit. The orangette, however, just braced herself against the wall, not wanting to be crushed by the crowds running past. She smirked, unafraid.

~~風~~

"Fire!" a nasally voice commanded on the enemy ship, prompting the pirates to shoot the cannons, shattering the dolphin figurehead of the cruise ship and hammering the hull. "COBY!" the voice snarled out.

"H-Hai!" a terrified-looking boy answered on the deck of the ship. He was young, with a small build, with short, light pink hair and blue, circular glasses. He seemed out of place, with his tiny build surrounded by bigger, burlier, and meaner pirates, all of whom sported malevolent smirks.

"Who's the most beautiful of all on these seas?"

He rubbed the back of his nervously and had to lie through his teeth, for the woman he was facing was obviously one of the _meanest, nastiest, fattest, ugliest _woman to ever sail the seas. She had long, wavy black hair coming underneath her white cowboy hat, accented with a red plumage and a green band. Her plump cheeks were dotted with freckles and her fat lips were painted red, her eyes squinty. She wore a pink shirt that stretched uncomfortably around her large frame, as was her white pants and the stolen, blue captain's coat. The purple sash around her waist had a flintlock pistol stuck in it, along with some jewels, and her long, red painted, talon-like nails were wrapped around a massive steel mace, propped up against her shoulder.

"Oh…uh...y-y-you are C-Captain Alv-v-vida-sa-ama," the poor boy, Coby, stuttered furiously. Oh how he wished her could retort and tell the truth, but if he angered her, his head would be bashed in by the mace that was Captain Alvida's signature weapon giving her her name, Iron Mace Alvida. The nasty woman smirked and laughed, pleased with the answer.

"Well done!"

"A-Arigato…" the terrified boy stuttered.

"Alvida-sama," a tough looking man said. "This is our first prey in a while."

"That's right. Alright," the woman snapped to the pirate manning the cannon on deck, "Start pounding the ship!"

More cannon balls were fired, one scoring a direct hit with the cruise ship's mast as other steel shots smashed into the ship mercilessly. The passengers continued to panic in their fear. The barrel from earlier, knocked around by the shudders of the ship, began to roll, falling down a hatch before coasting down the hallway. It bounced off the corner of a door, dizzily spinning into the ship's kitchen before it finally stopped with a crash. The orange-haired young lady, meanwhile, grasped the edge of her skirt and ran down the halls before peeking out the door to the top of the ship. She looked around, apprehensive, before she panicked slightly, slamming the green door shut as the pirate ship came into view.

Alvida's ship grazed against the other boat's side, moving into attack position as the anchor was dropped. Various crew members tossed their ropes to the larger vessel, the hooks digging into the wooden railings to allow a means of transportation between the two boats. Alvida herself smirked proudly, eager to start their raid, as she pointed her mace at the ship.

"Men! Show them the terror of Iron Club Alvida, the woman pirate!" she roared and, with that, the pirates cheered, racing across the ropes as though on cat's feet, holding their weapons aloft. Other whooped as they soared through the air on swinging ropes, bridging the distance, all eager to join in the plundering.

In the end, the only ones still left on the deck were Alvida…and poor Coby, who held a rope with chattering teeth. The nasty woman, twisted her head to face the timid boy and snarled, "Coby! What're you doing?!" She was irritated with the spineless whelp, clenching her mace tightly in her grasp.

Tears spilled from the petrified child as he stuttered back, "I-I'm not good at this sort of thing…"

This only enraged the mace-wielding woman as she slowly made her way towards him. "Hmm? Are you tryin' to give me back talk?!"

"Please!" the pink haired boy shouted. "Anything but the club!?" He had seen men's skulls crack in half from a mere swat on the head, who knew what a full blow would do to him?

"Then get yer ass in gear!" Alvida snapped, nailing Coby in the butt with her foot, who cried in pain as he flew through the air. His face made a painful connection with the wooden wall, hovering in air before sliding down with a pained groan. He twisted onto his back, his face burning and the possibility of a broken nose, waiting for the pain to die. Everything suddenly went dark, greatly confusing Coby, as it was sunny mere moments ago.

_Wait…is it nighttime already? _He wondered, tilting his head up to the sky. His eyes bugged out, however, when he saw a very distinct round shape of an impressive size heading straight for him that blocked out the light of the sun with its girt. It was none other than the foul-tempered Captain Alvida, her mace prepared to slam into the boy's skull. With a very girlish scream, Coby managed to roll away, making the woman smash into the wall behind him. Terrified, the pink haired boy ran as fast as his short legs could carry him.

~~風~~

A good deal of the passengers were cowering in one large crowd in the ballroom, surrounded by the armed pirates, all of them smirking at the terrified group. One with a face like that of Boris Karloff said, "We won't take yer lives, but we will take all yer valuables!"

"Anyone who tries to fight back will wind up at the bottom of the ocean," Alvida added evilly, stepping to the front of the crowd, causing the petrified crowd to shudder as her crew laughed.

Many of the trapped people began to hand over their possession, surrendering in fear of their lives. One, however, wasn't in the ballroom, but in a hallway just outside. The orange haired woman was pressed against the wall, spying on the pirates. When she was sure that they weren't coming anytime soon, she turned away, grasping the collar of her dress before performing a miraculous quick change. She now wore a blue, short sleeved shirt with a white collar and black pants, a red sash around her waist. A black bandana was wrapped around her head, hiding a good deal of her distinctive hair.

She smirked; time to get to work. With that, she ran down the hallway before ending up on the ship's deck. She quickly slid down to Alvida's ship on one of the ropes, landing with cat-like grace onto the vessel. Once there, she ran towards a red door, covertly glancing around before reaching for the handle. The door, however, opened up before she grasped it, revealing a green shirted pirate looking at her with confusion and annoyance.

"Who the hell are you? Never seen you before," he remarked stupidly, leaning in to take a better look at her face to see if she was a new crew member. Mercilessly, she aimed and scored a direct hit to his crotch, smirking down at him as he fell to the wooden floor in pain, the pained man clutching his balls. The woman smiled at him before heading inside, intent on reaching her goal.

~~風~~

"K-Konichiwa," Coby stuttered, poking his head nervously into the ship's kitchen. When he noticed that no one was inside, neither pirates nor the cruise ship's crew, he sighed in relief before he walked inside, glancing around. He was searching for something, anything really, of value that he could use to barter for his freedom. As his eyes scanned the room, he took notice of the largest barrel he had ever seen, lying on its side, amongst the wreckage of overturn pots, pans, and a table. It the exact same barrel that the two crew members had been trying to pull up from the ocean a few minutes ago.

The pink haired boy inspected the barrel closely, awed with its size. He quickly assumed that it contained _sake_. Coby silently took this as a sign from above as he started to roll it, with difficulty as it was very heavy, towards the door. Judging by its impressive size, it had to be filled to the brim with _sake_ and, since this was a luxury cruise for the wealthy, it could only be the finest brand of liquor to suit the taste of the passengers. When he presented it Alvida, she would surely grant him his desperately desired freedom! Maybe then he could finally pursue his dreams!

He was barely a foot from the door when his luck took a turn for the worst. Three members of the Alvida Pirates had to take that moment to enter the kitchen, surrounding Coby and the barrel.

"There you are, cabin boy," the largest pirate said with an evil smirk, clad in a blue and white shirt that stretched over his large stomach. "You thought you could escape us again, eh Coby?"

The poor boy gulped as he tried to come up with a good excuse for not being involved in the frisking of the passengers. "W-What? Oh n-n-no, I was just uh…"

The skinniest member of the gang, however, interrupted Coby, taking notice of the massive barrel the boy had been pushing. "What's in that barrel, Coby?"

_Shit_, Coby thought as the others inspected it, their smirks growing as their minds worked out the same conclusion he had had earlier.

"I bet it's filled with _sake_. Perfect," the large pirate said, leering at the barrel, "Why don't we, _lighten _the load for you, eh?"

"I was just feelin' thirsty," the tallest of the bunch added with a grin.

Coby shook his head frantically. "YOU CAN'T! ALVIDA-SAMA WILL KILL US IF SHE FINDS OUT!" he screeched hysterically in a panic. This was his one chance at freedom and if those bastards drank it…!

The tattooed one gabbed Coby byhis shirt, silencing with a glare. "She won't know if you don't tell her," he growled, a dangerous light in his eyes. Which meant _You dare snitch on us, we'll fucking murder you, capisce?_

With growing despair and fear, Coby reluctantly nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah, sure, n-no problem." He resigned himself to watch his one chance of freedom be drunk right in front of his eyes by the cruel men. The blue-clad pirate lifted it up with a grunt, getting the barrel upright before cracking his knuckles to loosen them up.

"It's real heavy."

"Can't wait!"

"Stand back fellas, let me open this thing up the old fashion way," the round one ordered, lifting his bunched fist above his head, preparing to crack the top of the barrel. Before his fist made contact with the wooden barrel, however, something unexpected happened that would change Coby's life forever.

"I SLEPT GRRRRREEEEEEEEEAAAAATTTTTT!" The lid of the barrel shattered as a boy burst through the wooden barrel like it was cardboard, his fist accidentally bashing into the large, blue clad pirate right behind him. The man pitched backwards, out cold, while all the while the boy stretched merrily, a content smile on his face. He was no older than seventeen, short ebony locks pocking out from underneath his straw, red brimmed hat. He wore a red button-up vest, blue shorts, and slip on sandals. A small scar, with two stitches, curled underneath his left eye, coupled with a large, goofy grin stretching ear to ear finished up his unusual appearance. His black eyes, with flicks of brown, snapped open as he glanced around curiously.

Popping his back a bit from the slightly uncomfortable nap he had, the boy finally noticed the two men and one boy staring at him with utter shock and horror. Confused, he tilted his head to one side before he caught sight of the unconscious man lying on the floor.

"Huh? Who's this guy?" he asked, a slight frown on his face.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"the two men yelled in unison, yet the boy completely ignored them both.

"He'll catch a cold if he sleeps like that," he added thoughtfully as he stepped out of the barrel.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KNOCKED HIM OUT!"the pair shouted, drawing their swords to look more intimidating, one putting it right under his nose.

"Wait a minute, are you playin' with us? We're vicious pirates, ya' know!" the tattooed one shouted, trying to gain a reaction from the oblivious boy.

"Oh! That reminds me!" the boy said, ignoring the two once againas he slammed a fist into the palm of his other hand before bending down and poking something within the barrel. "Come on, 'Kara. Rise 'n shine! We made it!" A soft sigh could be heard as a pale hand rested on the edge of the shattered barrel and a second figure pulled themselves up, the other hand resting on their head gently. Coby and the other pirates' eyes bugged out by what they saw.

It was a girl, about the same age as the straw hat kid, but compared to her, he looked completely normal! Despite his own unique hair color, Coby had never seen someone with purple locks before! The mauve hair was perfectly straight, styled in a hime-cut that was longer up front, framing the girl's face with bangs, while angling shorter towards the back. Somehow, she also had absurdly long hair that was positioned into high pigtails ending at her skirt, secured by large, golden bells, jingling happily as she rubbed her head. Her outfit seemed navy-style, with a white blouse complete with a blue sailor-style collar and a matching ascot, a pleated dark blue skirt to her knees, and long blue socks fit with black flats. Several dangling, closed fans of varying sizes hung around her skirt, attached to something underneath her shirt. A massive piece of wood or metal seemed to be strapped to her back, almost as tall as her! Her eyes were deep violet as she shot a cold glance at Coby before turning her gaze to the older men. He could feel the sudden drop in temperature within the room as Coby and the two pirates shivered, the black haired boy completely fine.

"Who are these people?" she asked, as stone faced as before to the boy beside her. He shrugged with a "Beats me!" A soft hum could be heard as she maneuvered herself out of the ruined barrel, completely ignoring the men who, needless to say, weren't very pleased with being ignored.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TWO?!"

"We're both starving, do you know where the food is?" the boy asked a trembling Coby with a smile, the purplette standing beside him. The girl's blank gaze unnerved him and he was still shocked by both of their sudden appearances. Catching his eye, the girl unhooked a fan from her belt, opening it and positioned the orange silk creation at the bridge of her nose, masking everything beneath her eyes, which curled up into _u_'s, as if in a teasing smile to relax his nerves.

"HEY YOU DAMNED BRATS, DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE US!" the largely ignored pirates shouted as one, raising their swords into the air, prepared to strike the insolent pair down. "DIE!" Coby screamed, horrified as he shut his eyes and covered his glasses, unable to watch them slice up the pair in front of him. The boy and girl, however, remained standing with slightly dark eyes, unfazed by the pirates' actions. As the swords arched downwards, in a blur unnoticeable by the human eye, almost half of the two swords were suddenly sliced off, spinning wildly to stick into the ceiling. The cowardly men took two steps back, shaking in fear at the unmoving pair, unable to comprehend what they had both witnessed. Coby uncovered his eyes, his jaw dropping in awe to see the two teens unharmed and the swords broken.

"You guys are really weird," the boy noted in a bored tone, revealing his eyes from under his hat now that he was finished.

"Muu," the girl said with a nod, snapping her fan shut, her void gaze zeroed in on the shaking pair, who were immediately struck with the thought that the two of them were demons.

"W-What in the seven hells are you two?!"

"Oh, us? I'm Monkey D. Luffy," the boy said with a cheerful grin before throwing an arm around the girl beside him, ignorant of the shivering men, their knees buckling dangerously. "And this is my best friend, Mizuno Takara but you can call us Luffy and Takara respectively. Nice ta meecha!"

"And for your information, there are six levels in hell," the girl, Takara, said casually, the ominous aura leaking around her scaring them all remained oblivious. "I could send you there if you're curious…"

With that, the terrified pirates fled in complete and utter terror, dragging their still unconscious friend with them out the kitchen and down the hall, leaving the trio alone in the room. After a few moments of silence, the kneeling Coby finally asked the million dollar question that remains unknown to all but four, "What the…What just happened?"

"What's with them?" Luffy asked carelessly while Takara shrugged, seemingly not understanding as well.

_They were terrified by the both of you!?_ Coby screamed mentally, unable to believe that the pair was that thick headed before he realized the magnitude of the situation. "R-Run away, hurry! If they come back with their friends, you both could be killed! Or worse!" he added with a meaningful glance at the girl. She was very pretty and young; no doubt the horrible crew would have a lot of _fun _with her before they finally slit her throat.

The mauve haired girl, Takara, however, merely blinked at him, as did the straw hat kid, Luffy he guessed, before he grinned cheekily. "But we're still hungry! We haven't eaten in like, three hours!" The girl nodded, her bells jingling again while the boy sniffed the air like a dog tracking an animal.

"How can you both be so carefree!" Coby cried, stunned by their casualness. "There are a hundred more of them up on the deck!"

"If they're like those two from before, we'll beat them easily," Takara informed him as Luffy grabbed her arm and began to lead her towards a door at the far end of the kitchen, ignoring the pink haired boy's warnings. With a shriek, Coby latched onto Luffy's other arm, attempting to weigh them down or lead them to the exit for escape. But they both had at least a dozen pounds or so on him and easily dragged him with them, opening the door and stepping inside the darkened room, comically shutting the door on Coby's neck. Inside, Luffy cheered with an eager face while Takara's blank purple eyes gleamed with a bright light, eyeing the barrels, crates, and sacks bulging with food.

"Food, food, food! Yes! Food!" he shouted joyously as he leaped down, quickly followed by the eager Takara and the two began to search for something edible within , meanwhile, was covertly glancing out the door, noting that the location was out of the way and unsuspecting. They should be safe for awhile. "Actually, they might not find us here!"

He turned around with a despairing face to find Takara opening a large crate while Luffy cheered happily, "Jackpot! Apples! These look great!" Together, they began to eat rapidly, the straw hat wearing boy simply tossing the apples whole into his mouth while Takara took sharp bites into its skin, quickly devouring the fruit.

"So…your names are Luffy-san and Takara-san, right?" the boy asked, trying to start a conversation with the pair as he walked down the steps to join them. "I'm Coby. That was pretty cool what you did out there."

"These apples are amazing," Luffy noted cheerfully, snacking away on the red fruit. Takara merely nodded, biting into a particularly crisp one. The pink haired boy didn't really get upset, knowing that the two were probably starving from their adventures. He was also getting used to being ignored by them.

"Say, where are we anyways? Is this a marine ship or a pirate ship?"

"It's seems fancier than a pirate's vessel," the girl agreed with a critical eye gazing at her surroundings. It was silly though, as they were merely in the food pantry.

"Neither. It's a passenger ship that's being raided by Captain Alvida-sama and her crew," Coby explained, earning a nod from the purplette before she returned her attention to the food, the pair making quick work of the box.

"Well, it doesn't matter to us," Luffy said around his stuffed mouth. "Do you know if there are any boats onboard?"

"I-I think so…So, how come you were both in that barrel anyways? It must have been pretty cramped," Coby noted, trying to learn more about the pair. He was very curious about why they both had been doing in there, perhaps hiding from the pirates? But they could stand their own against two with swords, so that didn't make much sense, and they didn't know their surroundings either, so that idea flew out the window.

"Oh, we were sailing when our ship got caught in a whirlpool," the black haired boy said simply, as if it was nothing.

"Muu, I didn't think we'd make it honestly," the purplette added with a shrug, tossing away the apple core before reaching for another, ignoring Coby's stunned expression.

"WHAT?! H-H-How did you manage to survive that?" he shrieked.

"Nah, it was nothing. Takara was the one to suggest the barrel," Luffy explained. "Besides, it was kinda fun, right Kara?" he asked the girl, who nodded with a blank face, an apple comically sticking out of her mouth. Coby couldn't help but stare at the two as if they had suddenly grown another head as the two continued to eat. The fact that the two had somehow survived certain death in nothing but a barrel and lived to tell the tale like it was just like another day…it amazed him honestly. He was quickly drawn from his thoughts when the other boy began to talk again.

"Are you one of those pirates, too?"

"You called that person _sama_," Takara agreed.

Coby's expression fell at those words and his head bowed in shame. Luffy stopped chewing while Takara rubbed the red skin of the apple thoughtfully.

"It was on that fateful day…" he began. "I had gone to the outskirts of town to borrow a boat to go fishing…"

_A slightly younger, although roughly the same height, Coby was humming cheerfully, holding aloft his bait 'n tackle box, a pole over his shoulder as he headed for the docks. Once he reached a boat, he began to set his bait box down and prepared to set sail for a short fishing trip when a shadow fell on him. He glanced up in confusion where he was met by menacing figures blackened from the sun at their backs._

"…But it turned out the boat was actually headed for a pirate ship."

_A terrified Coby was now sitting at the back of the boat, watching the shoreline become farther and farther away as the boat rowed to Alvida's ship, surrounded by menacing pirates._

"It's been two years since then," Coby concluded, his hands on his knees as Luffy and Takara sat on either side of the pink haired child. "In exchange for my life, I've been forced to be a chore boy."

While most would have expressed sympathy for the poor boy, Luffy just said, "Wow! You're really dumb and stupid."

"Those mean the same thing, Luffy," the violet eyed girl said, but her comment was mostly ignored as Coby bowed his head in shame again, embarrassed by the other's words. She was used to it though, so she merely continued to chew on her last apple.

"Gee, you're brutally honest…" he muttered sarcastically.

"You're not denying it though." Again, Coby's self-respect fell lower at Takara's casual comment as the girl snapped open her fan. It really hurt what little pride he had that a girl, a cute one at that, was pointing out his act of stupidity.

"If you don't like it, just run away!"

"I-I CAN'T!" Coby cried in fear, beginning to shake and sway furiously before Takara grabbed his shoulders to steady him, her expression still blank. "No way! No way! Just the thought of Alvida-sama finding me…frightens me and makes me weak in the knees!"

"Man, you're a coward too!" Luffy laughed cheekily. "I hate people like you!" Takara nodded, (Coby noted she did that a lot with Luffy) with a blank look on her face, although a flicker of amusement seemed to be in her eyes. He was weeping comically all the while, pained by those brutally honest words.

~~風~~

Back on deck, Alvida was watching her crew carrying trunks full of jewels, gold, and other priceless treasures to the side of the ship before attaching them to hooks and swinging them back on board. The crew worked like ants, determined to secure their haul before the Navy showed up.

"Anyone caught dawdling gets a taste of my iron club," Alvida threatened as her men commented on the haul they had scored.

Meanwhile, below deck, the orangette was busy depositing anything of value into a bulging sack, practically overflowing with gems, coins, and various other expensive baubles. She wiped her brow before setting back to work, grinning cheerfully.

At that moment, the two pirates that had tried to harass Luffy, Takara, and Coby, burst up from the hatch before they got stuck. Knowing how pointless it was to try moving, the both shouted, "Alvida-sama!"

Iron Mace Alvida turned around with a glare, annoyed at the pair as they shouted, "It's bad!"

"What is it?! You're annoying me!" she snarled as the two developed large sweat drop at the back of their heads. She stalked towards them, her mace on her shoulder.

"A b-b-barrel!"

"A m-m-monster!" the pair stuttered violently.

Alvida, however, heard only one word: Monster. Her face became enraged as she growled dangerously. "Who're you calling a monster?!" she shouted angrily, lifting her mace up with a single hand, preparing to knock them both senseless, believing they had been insulting her. The two managed to dodge as she let the club soar from her grip, their friend however, who had finally regaining consciousness, got hit straight in the jaw as he scaled up behind them. He was sent flying into the distance, merely a dot before disappearing utterly. The club, meanwhile, landed on top of the other two, who quickly developed large bumps on their skulls.

"N-No…Some weird guy and girl popped out of a barrel…" one managed to say through the pain. "They might be…bounty hunters…" This caused Alvida to pause, a slight bit of apprehension in her eyes. If there was one things pirates feared on the open waters, save for the Navy, it was people aiming to either capture or kill them for a large sum of Beri, bounty hunters. And the most infamous of them all…Roronoa Zoro.

~~風~~

At the moment, Coby was sitting between the cheerful Luffy and the deadpan Takara, thinking deeply. After a second he began to talk. "Yeah…You're right…I'm a coward. If only I had the courage to drift the ocean in only a barrel…there's actually something I want to do…" he said softly. Luffy and Takara stared at him, both quiet before Coby turned his attention back to them, not wanting to be caught up in his self-pity. "Umm...What compelled you both to set out for sea, Luffy-san, Takara-san?"

Luffy perked up at that and grinned cheerfully. "I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!"

"I wish to be the strongest pirate to sail the seas."

To say Coby was shocked was an understatement. His jaw had dropped even farther than when Luffy and Takara had made their entrance and even their tale of surviving the whirlpool paled in comparison.

"K-K-King of the Pirates?!"

"Yup!"

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah."

"Muu, it's the only thing he's serious about," Takara added. "That and his hat."

"Wait, you're both pirates, Luffy-san, Takara-san?!"

"Yep."

"What about your crew?"

"It's just me and Takara right now, we only just set out. We'll find them soon enough."

Add into the fact that they had already lost their ship, Coby couldn't have been more shocked by his friends confession. His face was frozen much to the confusion of Luffy, who waved his hand in front of the pink haired boy's face. He suddenly stood up, stuttering once more. "K-K-King of the Pirates is the title that's given to the person who obtains everything the world has to offer! That means seeking the greatest treasure of wealth, fame, and power…the One Piece!" he shrieked at the two of them.

"Yup!" Luffy said simply, as if something he said every minute. Which was true, Takara had put up with him talking about obtaining the One Piece for three hours straight once.

"Yup?! Pirates from all over the world are after that treasure!"

"Us too!" Luffy said with a smile.

"Actually, I'm only here to support Luffy, I have no desire to become Queen of the Pirates," Takara said helpfully with dull eyes, but was ignored.

"NO WAY, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE! THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN JUST STAND AT THE APEX OF THIS GREAT PIRATE ERA! NO WAY, NO WAY!"

Coby was suddenly knocked into the ground by two forces: a strong fist and a, surprisingly, heavy fan. He looked up to see Luffy, with an extended hand, and Takara, holding an innocent fan at her lips, standing above him. Unlike before, Luffy was not smiling and Takara seemed even more serious than usual.

"Why did you both hit me?"

"Just because," Luffy said, his voice a little gruffer than normal. Takara offered no explanation, but there was a fire burning in her violet gaze as she shot Coby a pointed look.

"Oh well, I'm used to being hit on the head by now," he said, slowly rubbing his scalp while he tried to laugh the pain away. Luffy and Takara shared a look before the boy sighed and removed his straw hat, staring at it fondly, while Takara's lips curved upwards as she rubbed one of the bells holding her pigtails up. Coby stared at the pair, but he blushed at seeing the natural smile on Takara's face.

_She looks even prettier when she smiles, _he couldn't help but think before he began to freak out. _GAH! What am I thinking?! I barely even know her!_

"It's not about whether I can or not," Luffy said suddenly, giving Coby an escape from his traitorous thoughts. "I'm gonna do it because I want to. I've promised an old friend of mine a long time ago that I'd become King of the Pirates, so if I die fighting for that, then that's fine with me."

"As for me," Takara said, her fingers still on the cool metal. "I swore I would always be by Luffy's side to help him achieve his dream while I pursue my own. I wish to become the strongest Pirate to ever sail, so that I can protect those who are important to me. Even if I'm a woman, I will fight twice…no, thrice as hard as any man to prove myself and achieve that goal. I don't mine staking my life on that promise and dream. It's just the ultimate gamble; you either win big or die trying."

Coby stared in awe at the both of them, his eyes wide. Here were two individuals, both a little older than him, willing to risk their lives for their dreams, despite the odds, with such determination. It was as if they were taunting Death himself as they pursued their goals, unwilling to fear him as they chased their dreams. And Takara, to go against the mindset of many, just to protect those important to her. He had never…he had never gone after his own dreams like that…They were both nothing short of amazing. With a fond smile, Luffy placed his hat back on his head, leading the way for Takara towards the door, as the girl carried a box full of supplies, helping herself to the larder.

"Now, then! Our bellies are full, guess I'll get that boat!"

"Perhaps they will be generous, Luffy," Takara said as they walked by Coby, still kneeling on the floor. After a few moments, he began to speak.

"Luffy…Takara…do you think…do you think I can do it too? If I'm prepared to die for it?"

"Do what?" Luffy asked as he and his friend paused, turning to face Coby.

"Do you think…Do you think I could be a Marine?"

"A Marine?"

Coby suddenly shot up, his fists clenched, inspired by their high goals. "Yes! All my life I've wanted to be a Marine, catching bad guys and bringing justice to the guilty has been my dream since I was a little kid! Do you think I can do it?" he asked, shouted with passion, with conviction, tears in his eyes.

"I wouldn't know," Luffy said honestly, but there a smile in his eyes while Takara cocked her head to one side.

"You'd be a baby faced Marine, but…You'd still be one," she decided with another of her rare smiles.

"Alright I'll do it! I will not spend the rest of my life as a cabin boy. I will break out of here and join the Marines and catch Alvida-sa-no Alvida and put her fat ass behind bars!" he screamed in determination. Never before had he had such confidence, and it was all thanks to these two strange, wonderful, brave people.

Sadly, this touching moment was rudely interrupted when the ceiling collapsed. Luffy grabbed hold of Takara, the box of supplies falling to the ground, and shielded her while Coby found shelter below them from the debris raining down from above. A plume of dust hindered everyone's ability to see, but it certainly didn't stop them from hearing as a painfully familiar voice to Coby snarled.

"You're gonna team up with them to catch who?!" Alvida snapped at a cowering Coby. After the dust cleared, revealing her and several of her crew, Luffy lowered his arms from around Takara as they both took in the sight before them. Five swords broke through the wall behind them, outlining their bodies, but neither Luffy nor Takara were moved or harmed.

Alvida carefully studied the two in front of her with a critical eye. The boy seemed shrimpy and the girl didn't hold much promise either, as if her cute face was a match against _her _astonishing beauty! Neither one seemed to have weapons, either, although the stick on the girl's back was concerning.

She smirked at the both of them. "So you two brats are the ones my crew was talking about? Heh, you don't seem to be Roronoa Zoro, the famous Pirate Hunter?"

"Zoro?" Luffy questioned, shooting a confused look at Takara, who shrugged. It wasn't a name either of them were familiar with. However, they were dragged from their musings as Alvida turned back to face Coby.

"COBY?! Who is the most beautiful woman in all of these seas?" she questioned, flipping part of her hair over her shoulders to try and appear more attractive. All it did was move her greasy hair to one side and reveal more of her fat neck.

"Eh, eh, eh, eh of-of course that would be-"

"Mu, Coby?" Takara questioned, earning everyone's attention as she and Luffy both pointed at Alvida.

"Who's this big chunky lady?" Luffy concluded with a perplexed look.

"Not to mention ugly," the purplette added with a raised, fine eyebrow.

Everyone's jaw dropped and remained still for several moments, unable to comprehend the fact that these two, insignificant brats (but not in the eyes of Coby) had just insulted _the _Iron Mace Alvida. Neither seemed to understand the magnitude of their words, either.

"Those kids…"

"Not good…" Alvida's crew stuttered and whimpered back on the top deck as they watched the scene below.

Angry marks popped up on Alvida's face and she saw red as she growled. "What…DID YOU SAY, YOU RUNTS?!" she screamed, swinging her mace to try and crush those brats into mincemeat. Luffy was too quick for her as he ducked out of the way while Takara leaped up into the air with the speed and grace of a dragonfly, landing behind the woman with a fan in each hand, both twice the size of her hand. One was a stormy grey while the other was a fiery red. Luffy landed before Coby, grabbing his wrist before he and Takara jumped straight up to land on the deck. Luffy grinned cheekily at the awaiting pirates while Takara hide her face from view with a fan, only her narrowed eyes peeking above it.

"Why you!" one pirate shouted lunging for Luffy, who merely fell backwards before jolting forward, smashing his head against the other, who fell to the ground. Another tried to stab Luffy in the back, but his blade was met with a fan. He stared in shock at the purplette glaring at him with such intense eyes of the same shade. He suddenly realized that his weapon was cracking slightly; the fan was made of solid iron and steel.

"That's an underhanded thing to do," she remarked, before she kicked her foot up so high and fast, the pirate was struck in his chin and sent skywards before ultimately slamming down onto the ground. She turned her head, pigtails swishing to see Luffy leaping back to dodge five men at once.

"Whoo!" he cheered energetically as he landed. "Sure is fun, huh, Kara?"

She lifted her head and a tiny smirk could be seen on her lips. "Hope they last longer than those other guys," she remarked dryly before shooting forward towards the five men who had dared attack her captain. Her now revealed _tessen_ extended, she swiped and slashed at their swords, knocking out three on her first go while paring the other two. After another moment, they had both been successfully knocked away as she did a pirouette, ramming her foot into all five men before doing an about face to salute Luffy, one fan cheekily pressed against the side of her head while the other was behind her back. The five defeated men fell to the ground, groaning in pain and shock over the fact a girl had beaten them with fans alone. Coby stared at them with open merely grinned, placing his right hand on his left bicep muscle.

Suddenly, a man leaped down from above Luffy, prepared to slice him in two. The straw hat boy, however, heard his yell easily enough and casually stepped to the side. Takara shot forward and parried with the grey _tessen_, sparks flaring up from where the two metals clashed. She swung her other arm up and rammed her closed fan directly into the pirate's skull, knocking him unconscious.

"Like my friend already said, it's not fair to attack from behind!" Luffy shouted, slamming his fist into two who tried to stab the unsuspecting girl, knocking one into another, sending them both to crash into the floor. She raised her head as the bodies hit the floor and nodded to Luffy, who grinned back, another life debt paid. They both froze as they felt a shiver run up their spines and glanced behind them, spying the awaiting twenty plus men, glaring down at them, all armed with swords.

Moving as one, Luffy and Takara shot forward, Luffy screaming about how they were ganging up on them while Takara remained emotionless, easily shoving aside any weapons that tried to strike them, even with her back turned. Coby could only watch in horror as his two friends were chased. Luffy and Takara managed to share a meaningful look and as Takara halted and spun around to face the crowd, Luffy grabbed the mast with his left hand, continuing to run while his arm stretched out behind him.

All the pirates and Coby were shocked, those fighting (and getting their asses handed back to them) Takara stopping to watch in fascinated horror. The purplette's eyes were hidden in the shadows of her bangs, but she smirked as she lifted both of her arms up, holding her fans high as she bent one leg, raising it above her knee. Luffy, meanwhile, had managed to reach the opposite end of the ship, his arm almost elastic given just how far it had stretched. As he turned around, as Takara lifted her head to show both of their sadistic smirk and malice filled eyes, all the pirates screamed like little babies.

"Gotcha~" they both sang.

The pirates took off in fear, their swords abandoned, terrified of the two 'devils', who quickly prepared their attacks.

"Gomu-Gomu!"

"Kaze-Kaze!"

"ROCKET!"

"X-STRIKE!"

With that, Luffy shot back towards the pirates, bursting through their ranks like they were made of sea soaked cardboard, sending them sprawling out onto the deck and a few were catapulted over the railing, screaming as they fell into the ocean. Not to be outdone, Takara slashed at the air before her violently, crossing her _tessen_ as she did so, creating a massive blast of air that could be seen as a large _X_, striking the enemies, sending them flying, some overboard.

"WHAT?!" Alvida screamed in shock as her entire crew was decimated by a pair of teenagers, one a freak show while the other was a fan brat! Coby's mouth was open again as he stared in awe at the pair. Takara relaxed her stance, sighing as she shut her _tessen_, stowing them as she moved to stand beside Luffy.

"That was fun, huh Kara?"

"Muu," she nodded, her pigtails bobbing as Coby slowly made his way towards the pair.

"L-Luffy-san, Takara-san…What are you…?"

"Me?" Luffy asked cheerfully, hooking his finger into his open mouth and pulled at the inside of his cheek. The flesh stretched easily, ending up more than a foot away from the rest of his head! "I'm a rubber person!"

"A r-rubber person?"

"Yeah, Takara's normal though," he said, nodding to the purplette beside him. "She's just _really _strong."

"Muu," she said, crossing her arms over her endowment. "If I wish to be the strongest, I must devote myself to my training."

"R-Rubber…" Coby echoed. "You can't be serious…"

He suddenly felt a malevolent presence behind him and quickly crawled behind Luffy and Takara, hiding from none other than Iron Mace Alvida. She stood before the trio, warily eyeing Luffy, who still stretched his cheek. She completely looked over Takara, although she was a threat due to her speed and strength, she was nothing like the rubber kid.

"You've eaten a Devil Fruit, haven't you?"

Luffy released his cheek and continued to smile. "Yeah, I ate the Gumo-Gumo no Mi when I was a kid."

"I see! I'd heard the rumors, but I guess they really do exist, the Devil Fruits! You also seemed to be pretty skilled, even the brat next to you even if she's not like you. You both bounty hunters?"

"Nah, we're pirates," Luffy said easily.

"Pirates! Hah! Don't make me laugh!" Alvida smirked, her scorn filled gaze sweeping over the both of them. "Where's your crew?"

"Just me and Takara," Luffy answered cheerfully. "But we'll find some more sooner or later. I think…Ten…Yeah! Ten others sounds about right!"

As they talked, they were unaware that the orangette was sneaking past the Alvida pirates remaining on the boat with a sack of stolen treasure, too focused was everyone on the exchange.

"Ah, so you're pirates too, uh?! Well then, since we're not under the same flag, that means you two and me are enemies, huh?" Alvida smirked, confident in her strength, too arrogant as she believed she could defeat both a Devil Fruit user and a skilled tessenjutsu practitioner. Coby was also terrified for his new friends, he had seen the skill and strength of Alvida firsthand! How could Luffy and Takara, as powerful as they were, compare to her, the terror of his existence?

"L-Luffy-san, T-Takara-san. Hurry, let's get out of here!" he pleaded.

"Why?"

"You both saw how powerful her mace is! In these waters, she's the most-"

Coby broke off, however, as he recalled those inspiring words that the two had said, words that encouraged him to resume his dreams-to become a true Marine!

"_It's not about whether I can or not.I'm gonna do it because I want to.I'm gonna do it because I want to. I've promised an old friend of mine a long time ago that I'd become King of the Pirates, so if I die fighting for that, then that's fine with me," Luffy said._

"_I wish to become the strongest Pirate to ever sail, so that I can protect those who are important to me. Even if I'm a woman, I will fight twice…no, thrice as hard as any man to prove myself and achieve that goal. I don't mine staking my life on that promise and dream. It's just the ultimate gamble; you either win big or die trying," Takara said._

Coby stood stock-still, staring at the two of them for several moments. He still recalled the conviction they had spoken with, the passion, the fervor. They would never give up.

And neither should he.

"I'm the most what?" Alvida questioned cockily, believing to know the answer.

Coby shook slightly, but his eyes grew determined and, to the amazement and shock of just about everyone, save for Luffy, Takara, and himself, he started to shout angrily at Alvida, his voice tainted with pure venom.

"The ugliest, craggiest, old hag of all these seas! The real beautiful one…! That's Takara, and she'll be more beautiful than you can ever even hope!" he spat, pointing at Takara, making the girl blink in confusion. She'd never been complimented like that before…In truth; he was not only speaking about her outward attractiveness, but the kindness and unparalleled beauty of her heart, something Alvida could never possess.

Alvida stood there in complete rage, her wrath bubbling furiously while Coby stood there shaking, but happy with his actions. Luffy laughed and slapped Takara on her back. "Wow! You sure are popular, Kara!" She merely blinked, shooting the straw hat wearing boy a perplexed look.

"W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"I-I'm going to join the Marines! And then, I'm gonna beat up and arrest pirates!"

"Do you even know what you're sayin'?!"

"I do! I'm gonna do what I want to do! I'm gonna join the Marines…and catch your lousy, fat ass!" he screamed in utter conviction.

"YOU DAMN PIPSQUEAK!" Alvida roared, hefting her mace into the air, fully prepared to brutally beat Coby into the ground before ultimately killing him. The pink haired youth's eyes were wide with fear, screaming in horror, yet…he had no regrets, just like Luffy and Takara.

_No regrets! No regrets! I said it! I fought for my dream!_

Luffy and Takara suddenly stepped in directly in front of him, the black haired boy grinning while the girl's had crept to the long, rectangular object strapped to her back. "Well said!" Luffy cheered, pleased to see Coby finally standing up for his dreams.

Alvida swung her spiked mace down, but instead of crashing onto Luffy and Takara's heads, it met with the strong _CLANG! _of steel. She and Coby were stunned to see that the violet eyed girl had managed to block the attack with her whatever it was that was strapped to her back, moving at a speed they had been unable to detect. As the pink haired boy studied it, he recognized the folds and creases, realizing just what it was before Takara jerked it to the side, causing the mace to be wretched away from Alvida.

"It's a giant fan!" he cried in amazement, leading the girl to snap it open with a mighty wave of her arms. It was an impressive size, almost as tall and three times as wide as the girl wielding it. The inside was cream colored,with the kanji for _Fuu_(風) surrounded by a circle with a flurry of sakura petals scattered about, all painted a plum edge was razor sharp, shining ominously in the light, as though it was made from shattered diamonds. The black case had _Fuu _written once again in purple ink on the hilt. It was clear now exactly how strong Takara was, to be able to perform such a physical feat without straining herself.

Luffy grinned at Alvida. "It wouldn't work on me anyways! After all…I'm only rubber!"

"W-w-what are you?!" the woman sputtered. Never before had someone been able to match her strength! How could this raggedy little bitch stop her blow like it was nothing! HER, Alvida the Woman Pirate of the East Blue!

The black haired boy only grinned cheekily. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy and this is my helmswoman, Mizuno Takara! Remember that, 'cause we're the ones who're going to make it to the One Piece!"

He threw his right hand behind him, the elastic limb stretching out almost forty feet behind them as he prepared to attack. Takara wasted no time either, swinging the fan to her right, awaiting her cue.

"Gumo-Gumo!"

"Kaze-Kaze!"

"PISTOL!"

"_Zefā burasuto__!"_

With that, Luffy's fist jerked back at an impressive speed towards his target while Takara spun on her heel, creating a furious gale that roared straight towards Alvida. Their timing was impeccable; both attacks struck the woman at the exact same second, launching her backwards both rapidly and painfully, as attested by her screaming. Her cries grew distant and, soon, Alvida was no more than a tiny speck in the sky that disappeared altogether.

Far away, the blue clad pirate that had been knocked away was peacefully floating in the crystal clear waters, gazing at the sky in relaxation, the birds calling out nearby.

"The sky is so blue…"

At that moment, however, an all too familiar shape appeared in the sky, heading straight for the pirate's form. Without much warning, Alvida landed smack dab into him, creating a splash to rival that of a cannonball, the shockwaves lasting for several minutes.

Back on board the cruise ship, Coby watched in awe as Luffy's arm returned back to the rest of his body as Takara simply closed her giant _tessen_, hefting the weapon back onto her back. The other pirates watching the spectacle were speechless, their jaws hanging wide open over the fact that two teenagers, one made of rubber while the other was ridiculously fast and strong (especially for a girl!), had managed to defeat Captain Alvida! Most of the crew panicked as the straw hat boy turned towards those on the ship and called out with a serious face, "Hey!"

"Yes!?"

"Prepare a boat for Coby! He's leaving and going to become a Marine."

"None of you are going to stop him, understood?" Takara added, her narrowed purple eyes promising a one-way ticket to hell with a side course of pain to any that dared to defy her or Luffy.

Needless to say, the Alvida Pirates were running around, quickly preparing the boat while another managed to secure what little belongings Coby had. The girl was scary enough, but the straw hat kid had a stern look and commanding tone, creating the effect of a powerful captain, although the effect faded as he grinned cheerfully. Coby was once more struck with awe, feeling as though he was the happiest man alive. Not only had he stood up for his dream, he was finally free from the past two years of pure torture and preparing to pursue his dream of becoming a Marine. And it was all thanks to Monkey D. Luffy and Mizuno Takara, the strangest, bravest pair he had ever, and would ever he would decide in the years to come, have the pleasure of meeting.

The blissful moment was cut short, however, as cannon balls crashing into the water surrounding the two boats, rocking the boats. Both Luffy and Coby shook violently, while Takara remained emotionless, not at all bothered. They quickly righted themselves and searched for the source of the cannon balls, spying three Marine ships in the distance, and growing closer with each passing moment.

"That's the Marines," Coby said.

"They're certainly late," the sailor suited girl deadpanned.

"Perfect timing! You can finally join them," Luffy said before he hopped up onto the railing, followed by a purple blur. "But we're pirates! We're outta here!"

"Bye bye," Takara agreed as they both started to run away, neither wanting to be caught before they could gather a decent crew, let alone achieve their dreams.

"Are you crazy?! They'll arrest me before I can join them! They'd think I'm one of the pirates!" Coby shouted, quickly chasing after them, not wanting to be arrested for a crime he didn't commit.

At the same time, the orange sneak thief that had stolen all of Alvida's wealth was securing her cargo to her stolen small ship to prevent them from going overboard. A loud splash caught her attention as a boat carrying Luffy, Takara, and Coby dropped into the water beside her. Her cinnamon brown eyes managed to make contact with darker brown and plum orbs before Coby pulled up the sails and Takara began to fill them with her handheld _tessen_, making their ship rocket forward.

Luckily for the cobbled together crew of three, the marines were too busy dealing with the pirates to notice their small ship skipping across the ocean, same went for the orange haired thief going roughly the same way. Once they had long since left the scene of the crime, Takara lowered her war fans and tucking them away with a sigh, rubbing her slightly sore muscles as Coby scanned their surroundings.

"Looks like we managed to get away…" he said, mimicking Takara's sigh with relief. Really, these two just had the best of luck, didn't they? If they went to a casino, he was sure they hit jackpot.

"Whew! That was fun, huh?" Luffy asked before laughing merrily, as though it was all a big joke, a sack of food and his belongings next to him. Takara sank down onto the floor of the ship beside him, propping her arms up onto the edge of the boat to gaze into the depth of the ocean with interest, a bag of her meager possessions and supplies beside her.

"Um, Luffy-san, T-Takara-san," Coby said, gaining the pair's attention. "If you're looking for the One Piece, then that means you're heading to the Grand Line, right?" he asked seriously.

"That's right."

"You do know that people call it the Pirate's Graveyard, right?" Coby said, trying to get them both to understand the extent of the danger they were about to partake in. Yet, when they looked back at him with those gazes full of determination, he was proud to call them his friends.

"That's why we're planning on gathering a real strong crew to get into the Grand Line," Luffy said as Takara nodded, her eyelids drooping a bit. "What about that pirate hunter guy that old hag mentioned? What kind of guy is he?" Luffy asked, tilting his head, the purple eyed girl beside him copying his action, also curious about this so called Zoro.

"Oh, you mean Roronoa Zoro. I heard that he was being held captive at the Marine Base in Shells Town."

"So…he's weak," the boy's voice was disappointed to say the least while Takara deflated into a chibi form of herself with a whine of releasing air, a cartoonish storm cloud above her head reading _gloomy_ in kanji (暗い).

"NO WAY, YOU'RE WRONG! HE'S A TERRIFYING, VIOLENT PERSON NOTHING SHORT OF A DEMON…Why are you both so interested in him?" he asked in confusion. He couldn't help but be confused with the once chibi Takara who was suddenly back to herself, idly wondering if she had been actually been pouting for crying out loud.

Luffy grinned cheekily as he replied. "Thought I might get him to join my crew if he's a good guy!" Takara nodded eagerly, despite her blank expression, and a certain gleam was in her eye that Coby recognized all too well: intrigue. Both of them were curious about how strong this Zoro was. This only caused Coby to wail in horror and shake his head.

"ARE YOU BOTH CRAZY?! THAT'S TOO RECKLESS!"

"C'mon, he might be a good guy! I bet he'd jump at the chance to join the crew."

"I've heard he's very powerful, I wish to clash blades with him."

"THE MARINES CAUGHT HIM BECAUSE HE'S A BAD GUY! NO WAY, NOT A CHANCE! THERE IS NO WAY! NO WA-OW!" A bang sounded as, like before, Luffy slammed a fist onto Coby's head at the same time Takara rapped his skull soundly with a closed _tessen_. "…Why did you both hit me again?"

"Because I felt like it."

"Mu."

~~風~~

Far away cross the ocean, at Shells Town, the large Marine Base hung above the island. Behind the gates, underneath the blazing hot sun, a man hung on a stake, his green-black bandana-clad head hung low, his white shirt soiled with dirt and sweat. Most would have thought him long dead due to his slumped, still form. He was actually very much alive. If one looked close enough, they would have met the demonic gaze partially hidden behind the bandana. Yes…the Demon, Roronoa Zoro was very much alive.

~~風~~

_Luffy: Hey! We'll untie your ropes if you join my crew!_

_Zoro: I refuse to team up with pirates!_

_Luffy: Oh, come on. You're already known as an evil bounty hunter._

_Takara: Muu, it's not that big of a job change._

_Zoro: Screw that! I ain't done a single thing I regret and I never will! So I ain't gonna be a pirate!_

_Luffy: I've decided you're gonna join us in our adventures!_

_Zoro: N-Nani?! Quite deciding things on your own!_

_Takara: Just accept, once he makes up his mind he'll do whatever he's set out to do until he's done it or he's dead._

_Zoro: For the last time, I ain't joining!_

_Luffy: Next time in One Piece: True Treasure: "Enter the Demon Sword: Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!" I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!_

~~風~~

Welp, that's it for now. Thanks for reading, and remember, reviews are love! If possible, I'll have the next chapter posted by next Sunday at the latest.

Here are some definitions and translations for terms I deem should be provided. I got a lot of the information from Wikipedia, which I don't own, along with a bit of additional information about my OC, Takara, and several terms. I'll do this at the end of each chapter. Thanks again everyone!

~~風~~

_Tessen- _a Japanese fan designed for warfare that were mostly used as a surprise weapon. There are many different types and styles and the word _tessen_ literally means 'iron fans'. Takara uses a wide variety of these, but the most common one is the typical _tessen_, a folding fan with the spokes made with heavy plates of iron, still retaining their innocent façade to the attacker. Hers a little different, as she found a way to make the inside of the fan a pliable sheet of metal. She typically uses them for blocking attacks, arrows, and even bullets, as well as in hand combat and throwing weapons. They can even be used to aid in swimming, despite their weight. Outside of battle, she uses them for their expectant function in hot weather or when bored and also to direct the boat when the wind dies.

_Tessenjutsu_-the martial art of the Japanese war fan, _tessen_, based on using either a solid iron fan or a folding iron fan in warfare. Practitioners develop high levels of skill, some becoming so skilled that they can even defend themselves against an attacker wielding a sword and even kill an enemy with a single blow. Other than used in duels against opponents wielding swords and spears, a skilled wielder can also use it to fence and deflect knives and poisoned darts. Like a sword, a tessen could be used as a duel-wielded weapon, such as parrying with one hand as the other continues to attack. It's a weapon that can be easily overlooked by the enemy, due to its shape, and it's easy to conceal it should one ever be captured by enemies. Takara has been a practitioner of _tessenjutsu _for a good deal of her life and is particularly skilled in it, as well as other fractions of ninjustu.

_Kaze-Kaze_-Translating to "Wind-Wind", its Takara's typical shout before she unleashes an attack. While she doesn't have a Devil Fruit ability, she has spent a long time with Luffy and is copying his shout of "Gomu-Gomu" with her personal flair.

_X-Strike_- Takara's X-Strike is created with the use of two _tessen_, crossing the two over the other when they are swung down across Takara's chest. It creates an air disturbance, a pocket of air shaped like a capitalized _X_ that is propelled forward, knocking enemies aside like paper dolls.

_Fuu_-the massive _tessen _that Takara always has strapped to her back. If you've ever seen the anime _Naruto_, this weapon is about the same size as Temari's own _tessen_, both folded and unfolded. Despite its impressive size and weight, Takara is able to carry it on her back with no visible strain and can perform a variety of attacks, showing her large reserves of stamina and strength, as well as her skill with her inside is a cream color, the edge lined with a sharp material. The iron spikes poke out, creating another advantage for kanji for _Fuu_(風), or wind,is encircled by a circle, both painted a deep plum. A series of sakura petals of the same color accent the rest of the inside. The outside, black case has_Fuu _written once again in purple ink on the hilt. The origin of _Fuu _is unknown, as Takara never talks about when and where she acquired it, let alone who crafted it.

_Zefā burasuto_-a basic attack that Takara performs with _Fuu_, her largest _tessen_. Meaning 'zephyr blast', she creates a massive burst of wind through striking the air with her fan, directing it at her opponent, literally blowing them away. She normally uses it when confronted with a boss-equivalent enemy or when surrounded by a huge group. Outside battle, it can be used to push the ship forward with sudden speed, commonly used to outrun enemies.

~~風~~

Once again, thanks for reading and don't forget to review for the continuation of this Fanfiction!


	2. Enter the Demon Sword: Roronoa Zoro

**One Piece: True Treasure**

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. One things for sure, it'll be a lot winder. OC, follows anime. OCx?

It got cut off before, but I could really use constructive criticism, as this is my first time writing. This will also have minor crossovers with different anime, especially with_ Naruto_ and _Katekyo Hitman Reborn _in later chapters. I've also done a few minor edits to the first chapter, mainly spelling and creating a line-break for parts of the story, in case if it was confusing for you to read. I did have lines, but Fanfiction apparently removes the ones I made. :I Not happy about it…

Anyways, reviews are love so a special shout out to first reviewers of this story! I already feel loved! Thanks Oxenstierna D. Yuki-Rin, I'm glad you like this Fanfiction and my OC! I'm just worried about her turning into a Mary-Sue, so let me know if I need to edit. As for your review, Mollypop, I'm not really sure, it's definitely friendship at this stage. I'm actually planning something, so just wait to see!

One Piece is EiichiroOda's pride and joy, I claim nothing but Takara. Any future references to other animes belongs to the franchises that own them. Please support the official releases. Once again, enjoy and review~

~~風~~

Chapter 2: Enter the Demon Sword: Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!

_I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking towards me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you…Cassandra Clare._

~~風~~

_Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece._

_Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea._

"_You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"_

_And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age._

~~風~~

(First Opening of One Piece's **We Are**)

The opening song **We Are **begins to play in the background as numerous ships set sail into the ocean before cutting to Monkey D. Luffy running along a grassy peak, whojumps off of it with excitement once he reaches the peak.

_Arittake no yumewo kaki atsume_

Quick shots of the various members of the Straw Hat Pirates flash into view. Zoro has his bandana pulled on around his head, his face contorted into a stern expression in front of the Marine Base. Nami stood in a grove of tangerine, waving with a cheerful grin. Usopp turns his head to his right, his arms folded as he stood in his hometown, while Sanji smokes his cigarette on the Baratie. Takara cocks her head to one side, a fan hiding her mouth from her position on a unique boat in the ocean, purple hair blowing in the breeze.

_Sagashi-mono wosagashiniyuku no sa_

Luffy stretches out his arm as he falls towards the ocean, the limb streaking across the sky to grab hold of the Going Merry's mast. He quickly rockets towards the boat, laughing all the while.

_ONE PIECE!_

_Rashinbannantejyuutai no moto_

_Netsuniukasarejahiwotoru no sa_

As the Going Merry sails through rough seas, various, gigantic Sea Kings raise their heads above the water before submerging again. Meanwhile, at the front of the ship, all the members of the crew are present. Nami, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji are at the brow in that order, with the orangette and sniper staring in awe at their surroundings. The other two grin as well. Luffy and Takara, however, are on the goat-shaped figurehead, the straw hat-wearing boy hanging on underneath while the purple haired girl sits on top, her legs crossed. Luffy grins as he watched the surrounding Sea Kings, his friend watching with a glint of interest in her eyes, her hands resting on _Fuu_, the _tessen_ being used to prop her head up.

_Hokorikabuttetatakara no chizumo_

A map of the ocean appears and a chibified version of the Going Merry sails across it, leaping over the waves into the air.

_Tashikameta no naradensetsujanai!_

_Kojintekinaarashiwa dare ka no_

Back on the deck of Going Merry, Zoro is surrounded by enemies, but he easily defeats them using _santoryu_, sending them, and their weapons, backwards. Nearby, Sanji is in a similar situation, but knocks the opponents away with a twirling kick.

_BIORYTHM nokkatte_

Usopp aims before firing, hitting a terrified enemy in the forehead, who was slightly confused to discover it was only an egg. He didn't think about it very long, as Nami knocked him out with her _bo_ staff. Takara was currently engaged in clashing her _tessen _against the sword of a particularly large and muscular man, before she sent him flying with an X-Strike, her foot hitting his face as he went on his way.

_Omiosugoseba ii_

The pigtailed girl turned her head to the side to watch Luffy slam his fist into a Sea King that was prepared to attack the ship. The reptile was struck in the jaw and flew backwards, skipping across the ocean. Briefly, with highly shadowed backgrounds, the faces of Buffy the Clown, Captain Kuro, and Don Kreig appear and disappear.

_Arittake no yumewo kaki atsume_

Landing onto the deck, Luffy stands up with his crew, grinning at the prospect of more adventure as he glances to check on his friends. The faces of Arlong, Alvida, Smoker, and Dragon flash by in the same style as those previous.

_Sagashi mono wosagashi nu yuku no sa_

The Straw Hat's personalized Jolly Roger whipped merrily in the breeze while Luffy, leaning on a barrel, spun his precious hat on the tip of his finger. The image of Shanks and the rest of the Red Heair Pirates appear before disappearing into white.

_Poketto no coin, soreto_

_YOU WANNA BE MY FRIEND?_

_WE ARE_

The quartette of Luffy, Takara, Nami, and Zoro appear. Nami and Luffy are openly grinning while Zoro gives a confident smirk. Takara has her fan across her lips again, hiding anything from view, but it's obvious by her upturned, closed eyes that she too is smiling.

_WE ARE_

Usopp has his fist out into the air, grinning with confidence as Sanji stands nearby, a large grin on his face as he continues to smoke.

_ON THE CRUISE!_

The Going Merry sails away, caught by the strong wind as seagulls fly past.

_WE ARE!_

~~風~~

"Man!" Luffy laughed happily from his spot on the prow of the boat, carefully inhaling the salty air with relish. "The weather is so nice!"

Indeed, the ocean was a tranquil, crystal blue, only the ripples of the ship disturbing the glassy surface. The sky was an impossible blue, clouds and birds lazily floating about, riding the soft breeze. It had been a day or two since the infamous meeting and escape from Alvida, and the gang was soaking in the sun. Takara, resting her back against the starboard side of the ship, cast her violet eyes to watch the waves, her lips twitching upwards. Coby glanced up from his fishing pole, managing to catch the smile caught on the girl's lips. He couldn't help but watch his female savior as she snapped one of her _tessen _open with a flick of wrist, beginning to polish the instrument carefully, the breeze making the golden bells holding her pigtails up jingle.

Slightly embarrassed with reddening cheeks, Coby returned his attention to fishing as he answered Luffy. "If we keep this up, we'll be at the Marin Base with time to spare."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive, Coby," the straw hat-wearing boy noted with a grin. "You're really good at navigating!"

"Muu, most boys your age wouldn't bother learning that stuff," Takara agreed, glancing at him while fanning herself now, obviously satisfied with the condition of her weapons.

Coby rubbed the back of his head, unused to the praise after so long in Alvida's crew, so he tried to play it off. "It's nothing really, this is one of the basic rules while sailing. You have to know these things, Luffy-san, Takara-san."

"HAHAHA! I know, but we don't really use that. Takara's got a different way of sailing us without getting us lost!" Luffy said, a serious expression, for once, on his face. Confused, Coby shot the purplette a confused glance. The girl in question tilted her head to one side, the bells jangling again as that unusual gaze locked in on him. The pink haired youth blushed slightly before shaking himself to clear his mind. When she looked at him like that…it was if she was searching his very soul.

"Um…Is that so?"

"Muu," she relented with a nod. With a nimble finger, she carefully placed the digit against her twitching lips, hinting at her inner amusement. "But remember, _himitsu_, nee?"

"H-Hai," Coby agreed, his face redder than the apple Luffy was munching on. He couldn't help but wonder, thought, what the pair meant by that. How could one navigate the vastness of the ocean without the use of a compass? It wasn't like you could ask the water which way to point the brow, now could you? Shaking his head once more, the pink haired lad was about to question the girl before Luffy spun around on his spot, smiling brightly at the pair.

"As soon as we get to the Marine Base and get Zoro out of there, he'll become our first Crew Mate, Kara!" he said before laughing. Takara merely held her open fan in front of her face, her closed eyes curling into identical _u_'s, indicating a smile despite the lack of visible lips. Coby realized that the pair weren't planning on talking anytime soon and decided to respect their wishes, turning the talk back to the aforementioned man, his voice trembling a bit.

"There's nothing to laugh about, Luffy, Takara! From what I've heard about that…the Marine Base is holding the infamous Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro…he's hunted down wanted Pirates like a bloodthirsty beast bent on carnage, slicing them up without hesitation…People call him a demon in human form." He broke off slightly, spotting the returned lack of expression on Takara's face while Luffy looked serious yet again, both listening carefully. "He's been called nothing less than a living, breathing demon in a human body."

With those chilling words, all conversation dried up like a puddle in the desert, a grim silence surrounding the importune crew. After a moment, with a nod from Luffy, Takara stood up, sliding _Fuu _from her back and stood directly behind the sail. Snapping the huge tool open, the purplette grimaced slightly under the immense weight before giving it a furious wave, propelling the ship forward with the mammoth wind created. Coby shrieked and gripped tightly to the side of the ship while Luffy stood, one foot in front of the other, at the brow, a determined gaze in his eyes as the ship rocketed forward.

_Roronoa Zoro, huh?_

~~風~~

Upon reaching the docking zone at Shells Town, Luffy leaped onto the cement, both hands on his hips as Takara and Coby secured the ship down with rope. Soon, the odd trio was walking down a street filled with stalls and people, some peddling their wares as others browsed about. Luffy led the way, walking with confidence towards the distant, but still large, Marine Base where Zoro was being held prisoner. Takara followed him by his right, _Fuu _strapped to her back and a hand close to her smaller _tessen_. She doubted they would be accosted, but with her and Luffy's luck, they'd find trouble soon enough. Coby quickened his pace, chasing after the pair like a lost puppy, still worried about their mission.

"Luffy, Takara, this is serious! Please forget about him joining your crew, its suicide!"

"I haven't made up my mind yet. I wanna see if he's a good guy or not," the older boy said, the purplette by his side nodding her head, pigtails swaying.

"Besides, we don't have bounties yet," Takara added helpfully.

"HE'S IN PRISON BECAUSE HE'S A **BAD **GUY!" Coby screeched hysterically at the pair, who promptly ignored him. Takara, meanwhile, had spotted a stall selling a variety of fruit, the pears in particular catching her eye. She poked Luffy in the side to gain his attention and, once he turned his head to face her, pointed towards the stand. His hunger quickly restarting, Luffy grinned and snatched up two pears, tossing one to the girl as he bit into his own. Takara eagerly began to devour the fruit, crunching it with her sighed. He seriously wondered if they were both either plain stupid or plain crazy, maybe even both!

After he tossed the cheerful vendor selling the fruit two Berri, Luffy decided to ask him about the prospective crewmate. He was wondering if Zoro had possibly been moved to a different base and didn't want to have to go all the way to the base if that was true. "Hey, can you tell us if Roronoa Zoro is at the Marine Base?" he asked pleasantly.

The reaction he received, however, was far from pleasantly. The vendor's face fell dramatically, twisting into utter horror as he leaped practically three feet backwards. He wasn't the only one; just about everyone on that street jerked back in shock, several with their limbs raised in strange ways and one man clung to a pole tightly. Luffy sweat dropped at the silly act while Takara cocked her head to the side, her eyes blank with disappointment.

"Maybe Zoro's name is a taboo around here, we better get going," Coby whispered to the pair before they all set off again.

Farther down the market way, Luffy led the way again saying, "Anyway, let's head towards the Marine Base. You wanna be a Marine, right Coby?"

"Of course I do, Luffy, Takara. But I don't know if I'm ready just yet," he stuttered nervously, unsure if he was prepared to join. He had heard that Marine captains were very tough on new recruits and was worried he wouldn't succeed. "I've heard that Captain Morgan is commander of this Base," the bespectacled boy said, trying to change the subject.

Upon hearing the name _Morgan_, everyone once again jumped back in fear. From what the trio could see, everyone was terrified; it was if they expected an attack from all sides as they flinched away from them. Now Coby sweat dropped while Luffy critically stared at the villagers. Takara's eyebrow twitched as she clutched at a folded fan, the kanji reading _Arashi_ (嵐). She could tell that the fun was just about to start.

~~風~~

"HAHAHA! What a funny town!" Luffy laughed once they had left the market. Just for the kick of it, he and Takara had mentioned the names Morgan and Zoro once they had reached more peaceful areas to gain the same reactions. In his mind, Luffy couldn't help but think that the people were just as scared, if not more so, of this Morgan guy than the so-called demon Zoro! It was kinda concerning, but still entertaining!

Takara waltzed beside him, humming a tune under her breath while Coby scratched his head. "I don't get it," he mumbled. "I can understand being terrified of Zoro, but would they flip out so much about Captain Morgan? Isn't he supposed to be a Marine, the protector of this island? This really worries me."

His words were true, Marines were supposed to protect the people from pirates with their lives. Yet what was it that drove fear into the heart of Shell Town's population at the mere mention of the Marine Commander?

"Maybe they act like that because it's funny," Luffy offered, not serious in the slightest.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Coby snapped before turning to the silent purple haired girl who had stopped walking, staring straight ahead. "What is it, Takara?"

She offered nothing but her usual "Muu", pointing the fan ahead of them. Coby and Luffy glanced before them to see they had arrived at the Marine Base. Behind the high gates of stained and tarnished metal and weathered white walls, bearing the kanji of 'Marine' on its doors, rose the massive Base itself. It was a unique design, shaped like two curving smokestacks, colored a deep blue with dark navy stripes rippling across them.

"Yosh, this looks like the place!" Luffy said brightly, Takara nodding expressionlessly beside him.

Coby began to cry a bit, his emotions catching a hold of him. At last, after all his suffering and toil, he had finally made it to the Marine Base! He could finally become a Marine and follow his dream, just like Luffy and Takara. Yet…now he would have to say goodbye to both of them. "I'm finally here!" he sobbed, wiping at his eyes behind his glasses. "This is where we part ways Luffy-san, Takara-san…'sob' I know we haven't spent that much time together but I…"

After a second, Coby raised his head to discover that Luffy and Takara weren't beside him anymore. Instead, the pair was on top of the wall, their arms supporting the rest of their bodies. Luffy was eagerly searching behind the wall, the girl next to him sweeping her eyes around as well.

Coby immediately freaked out, waving his arms and screaming at the both of them. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!? GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

"So, where's this Demon?" the black haired teen asked cheerfully.

"Muu, I don't see him…" Takara replied, disappointment thick on her tongue.

Coby sighed, sweat trickling down the back of his head, before answering them. "I don't think they would keep him out in the open. They'd probably have him in solitary confinement deep underground."

"Found him!" Luffy cheered, dropping down from the wall with Takara following. "Alright!" They took off towards the left, eager to get a better glance at Roronoa Zoro. Coby was left behind, his jaw hanging wide open in shock at what he heard, but he recovered quickly and rushed after them. They had stopped to scramble up the wall a little ways away, leading him to climb up after them. There was an eager light in Takara's amethyst hued orbs as Luffy enthusiastically pointed towards the yard.

"See, that's him right?"

"Muu."

"Yeah right! He wouldn't be out-" Coby argued, scrambling to the top to see as well. He turned his head, breaking off from his sentence, and immediately felt his heart rate pick up dramatically.

Positioned in the middle of the barren yard before them, a wooden cross held up a man. He was hanging forward slightly, his slumped form tightly tied to the cross around his arm and stomach. He was covered in sweat and dirt, his white shirt stained and filthy. He also had black pants with a green _haramaki _around his waist and a black-green bandana tied around his head, shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight.

_A black hood and a _haramki_…_Coby thought fearfully. There was no doubt about it now, Luffy and Takara had been correct. _That's Roronoa Zoro! _the terrified boy thought as he paled.

Luffy cheerfully turned to the pink haired boy, grinning. "He can get away easy enough once Takara an' me untie those ropes!" The girl in question obediently nodded her head, completely in agreement with the straw hat boy.

His head practically doubling in size in his anger, Coby turned to his companions and snapped out, "D-DON'T BE STUPID! There's no telling what'll happen if you both let him loose! I bet he'd try to kill both of you, Luffy-san, Takara-san!" he screeched in horror.

"Don't worry," Luffy said, closing his eyes. "I'm strong, and don't count Takara out either!" he cheered, throwing an arm around the purple haired girl beside him, who shot Coby a pointed look.

"Muu, quit being such a worry-wart, Coby," she told the boy. "That's what Onee-san, Aniki, and Nee-chan are for."

_I can't believe these two! _Coby mentally wept before he paused. _Takara…has siblings? _This was the first time had had heard about this. And to have three no less! Add into her so called 'secret', what else was the purplette hiding from him?

At that moment of pondering, however, Coby was rudely drawn out from his thoughts by a rough voice.

"Oya, you guys," called out Roronoa Zoro in w low angry voice from his spot on the cross. Coby immediately made panicking sounds while Luffy and Takara returned their attention to the captured pirate-hunter. "You're all eyesores. Get lost," he ordered, lifting his head with a glare that would make Satan cry.

Coby promptly flailed his arms in a panic before turning back to the pair of pirates. "Luffy-san, Takara-san! There's no way you could survive with him on your crew! Please rethink this!"

Before either of them could flat out ignore or claim they could handle it, a ladder popped up at the corner of their eyes and the sound of wood meeting stone caught their attention. They all turned their heads to the left to see a little girl with her brown hair tied in pigtails, black eyes, and wearing a turquoise and blue striped dress climb up. She glanced at the watching trio and did the universal 'be quiet' sign of holding a finger to her lips. After dropping a rope down she quickly slid down, a small paper wrapped parcel in her hands. Once her red shoes hit the ground, she began to scamper towards Zoro like a puppy.

Coby shrieked, thinking that the girl was rushing to her death, and began to beg Luffy or Takara to go save her. "Stop her, Luffy-san, Takara-san! She'll be killed!"

Neither moved, interested in seeing how this would play out. Luffy couldn't help but think that, despite being a well-known pirate killer, even the supposed demon Zoro wouldn't harm a little girl. Takara, meanwhile, was struck with nostalgia, recalling a small child crawling towards a hunched over boy with dark blue hair, a piece of bread in her tiny fist.

The eager child stopped in front of Zoro, smiling up at him. Unlike the people in town, she didn't appear to be terrified at Zoro.

"What is it?" he asked simply, annoyance plain in his voice over how the little girl was foolish enough to sneak into the Marine Base.

"You must be hungry! I made you some _onigiri_," she said cheerfully, the little bundle in her arms quickly being unwrapped now.

"Do you wanna get killed, pipsqueak? Scram!" Zoro snapped, but it was obvious he was too tired to do anything but complain.

"You haven't eaten anything this whole time. Here," the brunette announced, displaying two large rice balls in her hands. "This is my first time making them, but I worked really hard on them!"

Zoro seemed taken aback, his eyes wide with surprise at the small, but generous offer. Takara and Luffy exchanged knowing looks. It would seem that the demon had a soft spot after all. The moment was ruined after a moment when the tied up man snarled, "I ain't hungry! You're an eyesore! Get the hell outta here!"

"But…"

The girl looked upset and Zoro seemed more enraged than he had when he had told the trio to leave. Yet, as Luffy watched the interaction continue, he couldn't help but notice the…desperation in the bounty hunter's eyes.

Luffy frowned and jerked his head to Takara, who nodded. Quickly, the purplette twisted her head from side to side, searching for something. She quickly spotted the coming figures from behind the second gate that led to the Marine Base. She poked Luffy and directed his sight towards the small crowd, making the teen grunt.

_So that's it, huh, _Luffy thought as Zoro continued to shout, trying to scare her off, but the stubborn girl still stood there.

"I don't want 'em! Don't make me kick your ass!"

At that moment, the group had reached the gate, which slid open to let them pass. "It's not nice to be a bully!" a pompous voice called out. Zoro turned his head slightly, a look of worry in his eyes.

A man was flanked on either side by white and blue uniformed Marines, with weird looking blonde hair, a cleft chin, and a dark purple suit with a pink collar. Luffy guessed whoever this guy was, he held some kind of rank if the Marines were following him like guards. The blonde continued to talk in an arrogant voice as they drew closer, a smug smirk on his face.

"You seem surprisingly well, Roronoa Zoro…"

"Now there's another weird guy!" Luffy remarked as Takara nodded beside him, unaware of how hypocritical it sounded coming from a man made of rubber and a fan-wielding purple haired girl. Coby, meanwhile, was relieved.

"Thank goodness! He must be with the navy, now that girl will be safe!"

"Ten beri says she's safer with Zoro," Takara drawled, propping her chin up with her hand, narrowed eyes fixed on the blonde. She didn't like him one bit.

The weird blonde leaned down above the girl, ignoring the burning glare from Zoro. "Oya? Those are some tasty looking rice balls," he noted before he snatched one out form the girl's hand, greatly shocking her and Coby. Takara sighed in a _I told you_ sort of way.

"Stop!" the little girl cried as the man took a large bite out of it. His face suddenly turned green and he spat the rice ball out onto the ground, dropping the rest as he grimaced in disgust.

"Gross!" he shouted, glaring at the girl. "It's packed with sugar! You're supposed to use salt in _onigiri_!"

The little girl looked ready to cry, holding her sole remaining rice ball. "B-But…I thought they'd taste better if they were sweet…" she sniffed sadly.

The blonde slapped his hand out, smacking the rice ball to the ground before he began to violently stomp on it. The girl fell to the ground, trying to stop him, but her homemade _onigiri_ was smashed to pieces, mixing into the dirt and dust.

"No stop, stop it!" she cried, the tears streaming down her cheeks now while the Marine stood tall, their hands shaking with compressed emotions. Luffy and Takara watched while a shocked Coby couldn't believe it.

"T-That's horrible," he whispered. He couldn't believe that this man could be so cruel and heartless towards a little girl. Takara's and Luffy's faces were devoid of emotion, yet their eyes were enough to tell their anger and outrage. Once the man finished destroying the rice ball, which was now irreversibly muddied, the little girl cried even harder. All her hard work to make Zoro some tasty snacks were ruined by the pompous man.

"And…I-I worked 'hic' to make 'sob' those…"

"Didn't you read the posters?" the blonde asked the girl, pulling a flyer out from his pocket. "Those who assist or aid criminals will be executed! Signed Navy Captain Morgan" he read aloud, making the girl shake violently.

"HEHEHE It seems even little brats fear my daddy," the man bayed like a donkey.

"Daddy?" all three at the wall wondered aloud. Luffy's eyes widened at this new information.

"So…that's Captain Morgan's son?!" Coby was even more worried now about the little girl's safety. Takara had been right, facing off Roronoa Zoro alone was better than dealing with an arrogant brat whose father held control of the whole island.

The man turned towards one of the Marines behind him. "You! Throw this kid out!" he ordered, making the Marine flinch in shock and horror.

"S-Sir, she's just a child!" he said, trying to excuse the girl.

The man, however, grabbed the Marine's shirt in a vice grip to glare into his eyes. ""Oi! I said to throw her over the wall. If you don't follow my orders, I'll tell my father," he threatened. The Marine flinched once more, knowing it was no idle threat. He didn't want to hurt the girl, but if he disobeyed Captain Morgan's son, he was sure to be killed.

"Y-Yes sir!Right away!"

The blonde released him with a nod of satisfaction as the Marine slowly walked over to the terrified girl. He felt guilt tie a heavy knot in his stomach at her scared face, but there was little he could do. As he bent down over her he whispered, "I'm sorry, just curl yourself into a ball." After a moment, she did as he asked before he threw her over the wall.

She was sent flying with a shriek, but Luffy and Takara were prepared. His rubber limbs stretched out and grabbed the girl before the rest of his body met up with her, Luffy securely wrapped the girl to his chest, bracing for impact. Takara had whipped out a pair of medium sized _tessen_ and directed a cushion of air just beneath the boy, greatly lessening the impact. Luffy landed, his hat settling down on the ground beside him as he clutched the child close before he released his arms.

"T-Thanks…" the little girl said softly as the pair sat up, looking at Luffy and Takara in awe. Coby came up behind them, horrified that either was hurt.

"Luffy-san, little girl! Are you hurt! I can't believe how horrible that guy was!" As the pink haired boy inspected the girl for any injuries, knowing that Luffy's body didn't receive damage from an impact like that, Luffy stood up with his hat in hand. Together, he and Takara turned back to the base, wondering what was going on over there.

~~風~~

"Damn you…" Zoro snarled out as the man laughed like having a young girl tossed over the side of a wall was a big joke. He cursed at this cowardly boy, hoping for a violent and bloody end for his cruel punishment towards the girl. The blonde man turned back to Zoro.

"HEHEHE. You sure are stubborn to have survived this long."

"That's right, I'll make it through the month without any problem," Zoro said, confidence plain in his voice.

"Yeah, good luck with that," the man said, turning away with the two Marines to leave Zoro alone. The pirate hunter grimaced in the combination of hunger and pain from the various wounds on his body.

"Just you wait. I'll survive the next ten days and win the bet," he snarled at the man, who only laughed, as though Zoro's words were but another joke to snicker at.

~~風~~

Coby was finishing up his examination of the girl, relieved to see that she was unarmed. He sighed as he said, "Thank goodness you're not hurt. How can that guy be so cruel, Luffy-san, Takara-san?" he asked the pair.

At the lack of reply, the pink haired boy turned his head, only discover he and the girl were all alone, the two older teens were nowhere in sight now.

"What the…where did they go?!"

~~風~~

Zoro was grimacing slightly, the soreness of his body slowly dying down a little. Still, he knew that it would return quickly once the blonde bastard returned and beat him up again. Once he was freed, he knew he would need medical attention. That when he noticed a slight shadow on the ground. With a sigh, he raised his head, only to blink in surprise at what he saw.

It was two of the people who had been poking over the wall, a boy and a girl, standing before him like they had not a care in the world. He studied them carefully, surprised to see them both. The pair looked like they were seventeen, about the same height. The boy was tan with short black hair poking out from underneath his straw hat, a small curling under his left black eye. He wore a red vest and blue shorts, seeming like a fisherman. The girl had an average skin color, but that was the only average about. The long purple pigtails were eye-catching, her well built, yet slim form clad in a blue and white sailor suit-styled skirt and shirt not exactly blending in. A black staff of metal was strapped to her back. Her heart shaped face stared at him blankly, yet her eyes colored the same hue as her hairmanaged to show the determination to live despite untold pain locked in that violet gaze.

He had never seen…such a painful, yet beautiful pair of orbs norsuch a cheerful set of onyx eyes as the girl and boy before him.

Takara cocked her head in a questioning manner as Luffy stared at Zoro that they were closer, they could see that the so-called demon was a powerfully built young man, maybe a year or two older than both of them, a black bandana hiding his hair from view. A trio of gold earrings dangled from his left earlobe, tinkling as he turned to stare at them.

"So I hear you're a bad guy," Luffy said, phrasing it as more of a question. Zoro glared at them in annoyance, recognizing the voice.

"You're still here."

"They just left you here to be publicly humiliated. Are you really that strong?"

"Shut up!" he snapped at the pair, irritated now. The boy stepped up, hand securing his hat down to get a better look, the girl following casually behind him.

"If it were me, I would have starved in three days!" Luffy declared with a surprisingly smile. Takara offered nothing, merely nodding in agreement.

"I've got more willpower than either of you," Zoro replied, a cocky smile spreading onto his face. "Which is why I will survive this ordeal…This I swear!"

"Well, suit yourself," Luffy said pleasantly turning around with Takara to head out before they were stopped by Zoro.

"Hold on…could you…pick that up for me?" the pirate hunter asked, nodding towards the spoiled _onigiri _on the ground, a hungry look in his eyes. Luffy cocked his head to one side while Takara, with a knowing flash light into her eyes, bent down to retrieve it, scooping up as much as she could.

"You really gonna eat that?" the confused black haired boy asked when the purple haired girl stood up, muddy grains in hand. "It's just a big clump of dirt now…"

"SHUT UP AND GIVE IT TO ME!" Zoro snapped, irritated beyond belief and starving. Luffy blinked at him and the pigtailed girl stared blank faced at him before she stood on her tiptoes directly in front of the older male, her hands directly in his face. Zoro was surprised at the closeness; she could have just thrown it into his mouth, shooting the girl a questioning look, suddenly noticing the high cheek bones and soft features of her face.

"Muu," Takara said for the first time, surprising Zoro slightly, he had thought she was a mute. "You barely look strong enough to lift your head, let alone chew some dirty rice."

With a slight blush, Zoro bent his head down to take a bite of the rice, too hungry to complain now. He managed to get the entire rice ball into his mouth and began to chew, choking slightly on the mud as he swallowed before he spat some dirt out.

"Told ya so," Luffy simply said as Takara backed away.

"It was delicious, tell the girl I said thanks," Zoro said, his tone soft as he ducked his head. There was kindness in his voice as he said that, making Luffy grin while Takara's eyes closed to form her _u_'s of happiness. With that, they both came to the conclusion that he was nothing more than an average human, nothing to be afraid of. Their guess had right, Zoro was far from evil. They did, however, hear the slight grunt from the man.

"Huh, what's wrong?" Luffy asked, confused and concerned when he saw the man grit his teeth. He took a step forward, noticing how some of the injuries were swollen and puffy, obviously aggravated and infected. Takara's purple eyes widened slightly at the damage before she shoved Luffy aside for a better look.

"It nothing, get out," Zoro snapped, but he gained no reaction from the purple haired girl. Takara said nothing as she stepped even closer to Zoro, one hand digging through her pocket. The other limb gently prodded at Zoro's left arm. Unable to help it, he gritted his teeth as a hiss of pain leaked from his mouth. After a moment, she withdrew a small circular box, unscrewing the lid to reveal a creamy colored paste. Takara scooped up a generous blob and pressed it against Zoro's arm. He snarled at the pain and cool sting from the cream, involuntarily shying away from the girl's touch.

Luffy winced in sympathy, he had felt the nasty pain from Takara's mixtures before, but the girl in question didn't appear as moved. "Muu, stop moving," she ordered sharply, shooting him a glance with narrowed purple eyes. "It might sting, but this reduces pain and swelling."After a moment, Zoro braced himself against the slight pain as she spread more of the stuff onto his wound. True to her words, the sting had disappeared completely and the throbbing pain was dying down as well.

"What is this stuff?"

"Muu, it's something my One-san taught me. It's a combination of aloe and ginseng," she said simply, continuing to kneed the medication into Zoro's arm.

Luffy grinned. "Takara might not be a doctor, but she's pretty good making that stuff. She always carries it around for this sort of thing."

After a moment, she stepped back to survey her work, nodding slightly as she stuffed the container back into her pocket. Quickly, she and Luffy darted back to the wall, the boy bending down and cupping his hands together. Takara hopped up onto them before she leaped up, Luffy adding some propulsion to her jump. Once she landed, the purplette held a hand out to the straw hat boy, helping him up. Together they turned to face Zoro, Luffy grinning pleasantly while Takara held an open fan up to her lips once more.

"We're Luffy and Takara, by the way," the black eyed boy said before they both hopped off of the wall, leaving Zoro to question what the hell those two were.

~~風~~

"Really! He ate it all?!" the excited little girl asked in excitement. Luffy, Takara, and Cob had walked her back to town, all of them sitting on the stoop of a building that apparently her mother owned as they talked. The girl had introduced herself as Rika, who was very pleased that Zoro had eaten her _onigiri,_ despite the fact they had been ruined.

Luffy grinned as Takara nodded. "Yup, he ate every last grain."

"Oh that's wonderful!"

"I wonder if Zoro is really as evil as they say," Coby muttered, a little confused and upset about everything he had witnessed. Was Zoro, the pirate hunter tied to the pole, the good guy instead of the Marines, being ordered round by a brat?

"NO! He's not!" Rika shouted, turning to the pink haired boy, surprising everyone before her voice got quite as she continued. "…He's a good person…he got punished for helping us…" she whispered, her face falling in to despair.

"Huh? Can you tell us what happened?" Luffy asked from his position from atop of barrel. Takara laid a comforting hand on Rika's shoulder, silently encouraging the girl to continue. Taking a deep breath, Rika nodded and began to talk, telling them of an event that occurred three weeks ago.

"It's all Helmeppo's fault! He's Captain Morgan's son…"

~~風~~

"_Move it! Make way for my cute doggy!" the man, Helmeppo, called with a sword on his back as he led his beloved pet down the market way, two Marines following after him. His so-called 'cute doggy' was actually a full grown orange wolf, beady yellow eyes glaring at everything and its sharp fangs bared in a snarl. Needless to say, people scattered and took shelter like terrified mice as the freely running wolf galloped around._

_The wolf burst in through a swinging door into Rika's mother's, Ririka, restaurant, terrifying the patrons, screaming as the wolf leaped up on a table to eat a plate of steak, the poor man letting the wild animal gobble it down. Angry, Rika grasped the broom she had been using to sweep the floor and slapped at the beast's tail, trying to make it run away._

"_Stop it! Stop it!" she screeched angrily._

"_Hey, little girl, you got a problem with my cute doggy?" Helmeppo asked, smirking at Rika who ceased swinging at the mutt._

"_Rika, stop that! You'll get into trouble!" Ririka screamed, terrified for her only daughter's safety. It was too late though, the orange-brown wolf had turned around, drool running down its muzzle before he leaped, jaw opened and teeth bared, intending to maul the poor girl. Rika screamed in horror, believing that she would be killed._

_Suddenly, before the wolf could get close, a wooden stool was sent crashing into its skull with such strength that the hard bone was broken, killing the beast. It crashed onto the ground, much to the shock of everyone in the restaurant, save for the man who had thrown the furniture at the beast in the first place. Everyone turned to look at the man responsible._

"_He's done it now!"_

"_This means trouble!"_

"_Who the hell are you?!" Helmeppo shouted, angry that his pet had been killed before he took in the sight before him, the man facing the bar and ignoring him. "Wait…could you be?" he said suddenly, recognizing the trio of katanas propped up on the bar and the bandana pulled over the man's head as the greatest swordsman in the East Blue. "The pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro?"_

"_And if I am?"Zoro asked dismissively. _

"_Why are you opposing the Marines, pirate hunter?!" Helmeppo cried, waving the sword about as an emphasis._

"_Shut up and let me finish eating," Zoro said, taking a bite of his meat and began to chew it. Trying to use this to his advantage, the blonde man charged at Zoro as retribution for his pet, but he was far too slow. The bandana-wearing man, dodged, kicking the idiot's sword up to become stuck in the ceiling and punching Helmeppo in the face. Once he drew one of his swords, he held it threateningly at the blonde, whose cry of panic could easily be mistaken for a girl's scream._

"_You're getting on my nerves," Zoro snarled from above him, his hood adding a dangerous shadow to his face to make his scowl turn downright demonic. "…And your 'cute doggy'." The cool steel pressed against his face, Helmeppo quickly thought up an idea._

"_Hehehe, I hope you realize that if my Dad finds out about this, he'll execute the girl and her mother!" Zoro's face remained impassive, but his eyes widened and he ceased his threatening, making Helmeppo smirk in satisfaction. _

"_How about we make a deal?" he asked, getting up from the ground to be face to face with Zoro. "In place of the kid and her mom, we tie you up for…say a month. If you survive for that amount of time, I'll let you go free and the women will live. What do you say?"_

_The silence was thick and heavy, Zoro's katana would have been enough to cut the tension, but he chose to speak instead, dropping his sword to land perfectly into the wooden floor, sticking up._

"_Then one month it is."_

~~風~~

"It's been three weeks since they tied Zoro up. Helmeppo keeps punching and kicking him while he's all tied up. He's being so unfair and I" Rika said tearfully, starting to sob again. "I…Don't know how to help him!"

"So that's what happened," Coby said softly, slightly ashamed for thinking Zoro was an evil man when, in reality, he was more honorable than the island's Marines. Luffy and Takara were lost in thought when a sudden crash from inside the building caught everyone's attention.

Immediately, they all ran for the entrance to locate the sound in Ririka's restaurant. Luffy shoved the hanging doors open to find the disturbance, which turned out to be none other than Helmeppo destroying several plates as he slammed his white shoe on top of a platter of mixed fruits, sitting in a chair with the two Marine behind him.

"I'm hungry. We're gonna help ourselves to a free meal. HAHA! Oh, and bring out some wine too!" he ordered. Ririka silently complied, not wanting any more trouble for her and her daughter as the other customers could only watch. Amongst the patrons was a familiar tangerine haired girl, wearing a white and blue striped shirt and a paler orange skirt, holding a drink and glaring slightly at the audacity of the blonde. As Ririka poured and handed the glass of wine to Helmeppo, Luffy led the way into the room with Takara, Coby, and Rika following like puppies.

"Oh, that's right. Since I'm getting bored of this little game…I've decided to execute Zoro tomorrow. Get ready for a great show," the cleft chinned man said with a laugh, holding his glass of pink wine up.

Something inside Luffy snapped like a brittle stick at those words, his pupil shrinking drastically. His hands clenched as his vision turned red, deciding to teach the cowardly man a lesson. As he removed his hat to pass it to a confused Rika, Takara's purple gaze was hidden by amethyst bangs a shadow on her face, her fingers curled around a pair of _tessen_. Moving as one, they bolted forward towards Helmeppo, Luffy slamming his fist into the man's face while Takara rammed a folded fan into his skull. The sudden attack sent the older man flying into the wall, the force causing him to slide down it. His wail of pain sounded like a bratty four-year-old tripping as everyone in the restaurant stared in shock at the two teenagers.

"W-Who the hell are you two?!" the blonde shouted, tears of pain running down his face as he held his nose.

Luffy said nothing, placing his left hand onto his right bicep, taking on the classic Gumo-Gumo Pistol stance as Takara raised her bent knee into the air, hands holding aloft her still closed _tessen_, preparing an X-Strike. Coby managed to stop both of them before a brawl could begin, grabbing onto Luffy's arm and tugging on Takara's shirt, briefly calming them both down before they returned to glaring at Helmeppo.

"Luffy-san, Takara-san, please stop!"

"This guy has to pay," the normally happy-go-lucky boy told him.

"Muu, he is worse than scum."

"You brats! You hit me! I'm Captain Morgan's son!" The injured blonde shouted at them both.

"I don't care who you are!" Luffy shouted, Takara nodding with a fierce glare.

"YOU'LL CARE WHEN I TELL MY FATHER TO EXECUTE YOU BOTH!" Helmeppo screamed at them, tears in his eyes.

"Why don't you fight your own battles, you coward?!" Luffy snapped back, making Takara nod as she agreed, "Muu, only a true coward hides behind the backs of those more powerful than himself."

Everyone inside the restaurant watched the screaming match between two teenagers and Captain Morgan's son with apprehension and fear plain on their faces, but respect for the two who were standing their ground in the face of danger.

"Luffy-san, Takara-san! Stop it! Do you want the Marines after you?!" Coby screamed, trying to drag the pair back away from Helmeppo.

"I've made up my mind, Coby!" Luffy said, making Coby open his mouth, surprised by the boy's cold and serious voice. "Today…I'm making Zoro my_ nakama_!" he declared, holding a fist in the air, a look of determination plain on his face as Takara nodded, her eyes alight with conviction. Coby knew there was nothing he could do; those two would go to hell and back before they admitted defeat.

~~風~~

Inside the Marine Base, a powerfully built man sat in a comfortable chair facing the window, smoking a fine cigar as he looked out onto the town that he controlled with an iron fist. The man's aura radiated power and authority, yet it only masked his greedy and frightful nature that rained terror onto Shells Town. His great bulk was also intimidating, with short white-blonde hair and jaw made of actual steel. This was none other than Marine Captain Morgan, the one who was feared by both citizens and Marines alike.

"I feel great," Morgan said to a Marine who stood at the door. He promptly saluted at his Captain, not wanting to anger the man.

"Yes sir, right you are, Captain Morgan."

"And yet, the tributes and taxes to me have been decreasing by the day," he noted, glaring out the window.

The Marine trembled in terror as he replied, "S-Sir, the problem is that the people only have so much money." He was horrified that Morgan would take it upon himself to go and visit the town. He would most likely go to the house whose owners had pained the least in taxes, executing them on the spot with the false accusation of treason against the Marines as an example to the townsfolk.

"The problem is that the townspeople don't have enough admiration or respect for me. Wouldn't you agree, soldier?" By the way he phrased it, Morgan hadn't meant it as a question, but as a command; either agree or die. Before the soldier had to reply, he was saved from answer when the door was slammed open to reveal a weeping, angry Helmeppo.

"Daddy, there's two people I want you to kill."

The soldier couldn't help but send a small prayer for the poor souls who had angered the Captain's son, unaware at the fact that a straw hat teen and a purple haired girl both sneezed before continuing on their way towards that very Marine Base.

~~風~~

_Two children were competing against the other using wooden bokken instead of steel swords. One was a girl with short blue hair and dark brown eyes wearing a pale pink outfit narrowed in determination, using the traditional one sword style, ittoryu. The other, younger version of Zoro dressed in dark clothes and lacking any scars, was using two sword, yontoryu. While Zoro was already skilled at his young age, he was no match for the girl, who struck him with a powerful slash that sent both of his bokken flying and knocking him onto the ground, yet another duel to the girl's victory._

"_You're as weak as ever, Zoto," the girl said playfully, grinning over her victory, holding her sword in Zoro's face._

~~風~~

Zoro gasped in shock, drawing out from his guilt racked slumber, taking a calming breath to convince himself it was only the echoes of his past. After glancing around the still empty yard, he was slightly relieved to know that the afternoon beating was postponed a little longer. He grimaced again as he bowed his head, the heat unbearable coupled with his fatigue, pain, and hunger weighing down his already failing body.

_I can't die here, _he thought desperately. _I made a promise to her! I can't afford to die in a place like this! _He opened his eyes, only to be surprised to spot a pair of shadows on the ground before him, leading Zoro to raise his head with a frown to spy the black haired boy and sailor-suit girl from earlier. He was surprised to see that they had somehow snuck up on him, especially the girl; with those bells on her head, she should have made a racket.

"Ugh, you both again. Don't you have anything else to do but bother me," he snarled in annoyance.

"We'll help you escape the you'll be our_ nakama_," Luffy said without any more prompting as Takara stood beside him, unblinking.

"YOUR WHAT?!" Zoro shouted in surprise. _Friends?_ What the hell was with these kids?!

"I'm running a Pirate crew and I'm looking for _nakama_ to join up with us," Luffy said simply.

"Muu, what he said."

Zoro couldn't help but snort at this. These two brats, pirates? Get real, this had to be one of the most ridiculously things he had ever heard and he had talked to a guy high on cactus juice once. That guy just sprouted idiocy, but it didn't compare to what these two were saying.

"Like hell. I'd never stoop as low as to join a pirate crew, lower myself to the level of a villain. Screw that," he snapped, turning his head to the side and closing his eyes to give the message that he didn't want to talk to them. That message never got to them, leading Luffy to pout slightly before he began to talk again.

"And what's wrong with being a pirate, huh?"

"Pirates are nothing more than low life, scum. Who in the seven hells would anyone want to be that?"

"Actually, there are six levels in hell," Takara said with eyes devoid of emotion, her comment promptly ignored as Luffy tried to convince Zoro to join.

"Ah, c'mon. Why do you care? Everyone already thinks you're a vicious criminal who's only out for blood."

"I don't care what society thinks about me. I've never done a single thing I've ever regretted. I'm going to survive," the pirate hunter promised, a cocky smile plastered on his face. "And accomplish my goal!"

"That's great," Luffy said cheerfully with a grin, opening his eyes to give him a semi-serious look. "But I've already decided that you're going to join my crew," he added, crossing arms.

"NANI?! YOU DIDN'T EVEN ASK, DON'T GO DECIDING THINGS FOR OTHERS!"

"Just give up," Takara said blandly, violet gaze indifferent, but there was amusement there as well. "Once he sets his mind on something, nothing can stop Luffy."

"We also heard you're one of the best swordsmen in the Eastern Blue," Luffy added, making Takara eagerly gleam. "You do have a katana, right?"

"Well yeah…But that bastard Captain's son took mine away," Zoro admitted, ducking his head once more a bit. He hated appearing weak to anyone, especially in front of kids. Luffy and Takara shaved a look, both silently agreeing.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to get it back for you."

"WHAT?!" Zoro shouted, shocked that these teens were planning to retrieve his weapons. Luffy nodded, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes while Takara's lips twitched up in a smirk; the pirate hunter was suddenly struck with the idea of demons standing before him.

"Muu, but you'll have to make it up to us," she said, a falsely thoughtful look on her face as she tapped a fan against her lip.

Luffy snapped his finger as he said, "We'll get your katana back, but then you'll _have _to be our _nakama _and join the crew!"

"NOW YOU TWO ARE REALLY PISSING ME OFF!" Zoro screamed in utter anger. He would never have guessed that such an innocent girl and a playful boy could have been so…wicked, as though they were the devil's bastard children. With a chuckle, Luffy took off, running to his left while Takara slowly headed to the right. He couldn't help but alternate his staring between the two.

_They're really going to bust in, all by themselves…_That's when he realized something critical.

"Oi, genius!" he screamed after the straw hat kid. "The base is the other way! You're going the wrong way!" Luffy froze midstep, an embarrassed look on his face with an "oops". Zoro sighed in exasperation at the fact that this was one-half of his so-called 'rescue team' when Luffy suddenly stretched his arms to the top of the wall that Takara stood in front of waiting. With a scream of "Gomu-Gomu Rocket!" Luffy shot off past Zoro, rejoining the rest of his body. Takara whipped out a pair of _tessen_, snapping them open and directed a blast of air at her feet as she jumped up, propelling her to the top of the wall to land beside Luffy. They quickly leaped off, heading towards the Marine Base.

Zoro could only stare in utter shock, trying to process what the hell had just happened.

"What the…the hell are those two?!"

~~風~~

At the top of the Marine Base, Captain Morgan had ordered his men to lift a massive statue of himself upright onto the roof of the central building, a final show of his massive power. It was several times the size of a normal man, designed perfectly in the likeness of Morgan.

"Daddy, aren't you going to do something about those brats? That bastard and bitch hit me right in public! Not even you ever hit me in the face!" Helmeppo questioned whiningly near his father.

"True, I have never struck you before. Any idea why?" Morgan questioned, his words threatening even to his son.

"Uhh…Is it because you love me?" the blonde boy asked hesitantly.

"…No. It's because…" Without even a warning, he turned on the ball of his foot, smashing his left fist into Helmeppo's face to send him flying. The blonde groaned weakly as he sank to the ground, the pain much greater than either blow from the teenagers from earlier.

"Because you're a worthless son whose not even worth hitting," Morgan finished, bringing his right arm from behind his back to reveal that, in the place of a normal arm, was a large, sharp ax. The handle went straight through his forearm, the handle poking out from the back of his elbow. He used the edge of his ax to lift a shaking Helmeppo into the air, glaring at his own son, his metal jaw set in a scowl.

"Get one thing straight. The one and only great one on this entire island is the man you call Father," he snapped, tossing his son onto the ground with a loud "thud" before he turned away, clasping his metal hand with his sole flesh one.

"Which reminds me…I've heard you caught a rodent in the crucifixion yard earlier."

"Uh, yes. The little girl, but I already dealt with her," Helmeppo said, trying to wave it off, not liking where his father was going.

"I hope that means kill."

Every Marine on the roof and even Helmeppo were silenced in horror hearing such a cold-hearted statement from the leader of the base, just plain out saying to kill a tiny child.

"Wha-what, no?! I didn't kill her, she's just a kid," Helmeppo said in shock. He might have been a rotten, spoiled person, but he was no murderer, especially of children, even if they had made in infraction on the law. He wasn't that horrible!

His father, however, gave him a disappointed glare before turning to his lieutenant, a mustachioed man named Rokakku, and snapped, "You! Go into town and finish the job!"

"Sir, you can't be serious! She's only a little girl," he stuttered.

"I don't care if she's a child or an elderly woman, when I give you an order soldier, I expect you to follow it. Anyone who disobeys me is a traitor. Now go to town, find her, and kill her."

After a moment of shaking, Rokakku stood tall, staring Morgan down, determination in his eyes. "No sir, I won't do it." He would not commit such a cowardly and unforgivable crime, even at the cost of his life. Morgan fixed a dark glare at him to dare defy him before, without warning, struck at him with the butt his ax hand. Rokakku landed heavily on the ground, unconscious or worse. Two men quickly ran to his side and began to drag him away to see if they could save him. Helmeppo and many others were petrified at what they had witnessed; if Morgan had used the actual blade…

"You didn't have to go that far!"

"My strength and this arm is what I used to rise to the rank of Captain. Listen carefully, all of you, in this world, what truly matters is strength, as well as rank. Which means on this island, as the Captain of this Base and the highest ranking officer, I'm also the greatest man on this island. Therefore, everything I do is right! Isn't that right?!"

"SIR YES SIR!" all the Marines shouted as they saluted, their fear of Captain Morgan rising even more.

"I'll deal with the girl later…Behold! After three years of waiting, it's finally finished," he said, turning his attention back to the stone likeness of him. "This is the greatest symbol of my unending authority," Morgan announced grandly, as the Marines began to raise the statue into the air once more, a satisfied gleam in his eye. Once it was in place, it would assure his continued reign on the town, eventually leading to a level of respect and power from the world to come.

"Now, erect it! It shall occupy the highest spot on this base as a token of my greatness!"

~~風~~

At the same time, Luffy and Takara were busy running around the entire base, searching for the "bastard Captain's son" as Zoro called Helmeppo. They had been searching for a while now, with no sign of him anywhere. They had yet to see a single Marine as well for some reason.

"Huh, its sure is weird huh, Kara? I wonder where everyone is?" the straw hat boy asked aloud, voicing Takara's thoughts. The purplette gave a noncommittal shrug before they both heard faint shouting from the top of the massive central tower.

"Muu, how about up there?" she offered, raising a fan to point at the building. Luffy grinned, glancing at the top before taking two steps back, preparing to launching himself up.

"Need a lift, Takara?" he asked. She merely shook her head, heading in the opposite direction from the building before spinning around, holding a medium sized fan, colored a blend of light tangerine to dark orange that quickly morphed to a deep apricot. The kanji on the black handle read _sora _(空) in pure tangerine. Luffy grinned at her before stretching his arm so that his hand could grasp the top of the tower.

"Gomu-Gomu!"

"Sora-Kaze!" Takara cried, bolting forward towards the building.

"ROCKET!"

"BLAST!"

With that, Luffy shot up the side of the building while the purple haired girl slashed at the ground, the fan glowing an unnatural shade of orange before she flew upwards, propelled by a great deal of strength and generated wind, managing to move at the same rate as Luffy. Takara managed to move her feet onto the fan, grasping the edge with her fingers to keep a tight grip on her ride.

As the men on top slowly heaved the statue upward, one of the man accidentally slipped slightly, causing the statue's large hand to lightly scrape against a light post. Horrified, the Marine began to apologize profusely countless times, but Captain Morgan wasn't about to hear it, believing that even a mere scratch on his symbol of strength was an act of treason. He raised his hand up, deciding to deliver a fatal blow this time. He was, luckily, stopped when he spotted two large, dark objects suddenly rocketing past the tower. He blinked in shock as he realized that they weren't birds but rather…A BOY AND A GIRL?!"

"AHH! Too high! Too high!" Luffy screeched in shock as a bored-looking Takara shifted her feet off of _Sora_, holding it in her hand now as well as _Arashi_.

"What the hell is going on?!" one surprised Marine shouted out as he and others began to panic as the two teenagers shot past them.

Luffy stretched his hand out, grabbing onto one of the ropes that supported the statue while Takara slashed at the air behind her with _Sora and Arashi_, propelling her towards Luffy, who managed to snatch her arm with his free hand. The straw hat-wearing teen pulled the pair to safety, both landing easily on the rood, Takara's bells not even chiming as she landed one foot in front of the other. Unfortunately, the use of the rope to steady their fall upset the balance of the other marines lifting up the statue. They tried to correct the sudden change in balance, but the damage was done. The stone statue plummeted to the ground, hitting the edge of the roof and a crack appeared, breaking it in half. The top half of the stone Morgan rained onto the back of the training yard, shattering into a million pieces upon impact.

Everyone gawked at the boy who was casually brushing himself off and the girl who shut her fans, tucking them away before stretching slightly. The Marines' gazes alternated between watching them, the bottom half of the statue, and Captain Moran. They all knew that the Captain was beyond pissed over the fact his custom-built statue was destroyed by a scrawny pair of brats. Luffy gave a slightly nervous laugh as he took in the damage they hadn't meant to cause, Takara's eyes covered by her purple bangs.

"Shishishi, sorry…about that," he offered, scratching the back of his head slightly, an embarrassed look on his face while Takara nodded with her typical "Muu."

Morgan was far too busy fuming to bother paying attention to listen to their measly excuses.

"SEIZE THOSE BRATS! I'M GOING TO KILL THEM!" he ordered to his Marines, who all upset about it, as it was an accident, but they weren't going to go against their Captain when he was in this sort of mood.

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Shit," Takara said casually, lifting her head to reveal her narrowed violet gaze as an aura of death radiated from her body, making the Marines flinch back.

"DADDY, THOSE ARE THEM! THEY'RE THE BRATS THAT HIT ME!"

"Hey, there you are!" Luffy said cheerfully, pointing at Helmeppo.

"It the bastard Captain's son," Takara agreed, unknowingly digging her own grave with that comment, Morgan's eyebrow twitching at the 'bastard' comment.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," the straw hat boy added, running for the blonde, who shrieked like a pitiful girl. Luffy quickly snatched him by the collar and dragged him off towards the roof entrance with Takara darting at his side, the girl swiftly kicking and knocking aside anyone who dared to get in their way. "C'mon! There's something I want you to give back!"

"DON'T LET EITHER OF THEM ESCAPE!" Morgan shouted at his men, a small squadron heading off to catch up with the trio. One Marine glanced out to the crucifixion yard, surprised by something before turning to his commanding officer.

"Captain, there's someone in the crucifixion yard!"

Morgan turned to face the yard, spotting a small boy with pink hair running up towards the strung-up Roronoa Zoro.

"I'm surrounded by traitors."

~~風~~

The now familiar orangette landed in an empty hallway, beginning to pick open a closed door when the shouts of Marines disturbed her, forcing the girl to abandon her work and brace herself against the wall. Once they disappeared, she grimaced, muttering a soft, "Someone just had to interrupt," under her breath before continuing her work. She was unaware of just _who _had caused the interruption.

~~風~~

Luffy and Takara charged down the hallway, dragging Helmeppo with them, who screamed as they searched for Zoro's swords, both getting impatient and irritated at the continued yelling.

"Okay, tell me where Zoro's sword."

"I'LL TELL YOU! I'LL TELL YOU! JUST STOP 'AH' DRAGGING ME!" Helmeppo screamed, his legs and butt suffering from all the dragging, making him doubt they would ever feel again. Luffy slid to a stop while Takara jerked to end her run next to him, both staring down at the whiny man.

"Muu, which way?"

"In my room. We just passed it."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you just say so," Luffy shouted while Takara cocked her head to one side, a look of disbelief plain on her face. The boy sighed in annoyance, hand on his hip, beginning to turn around, as did the purplette beside him. "Now we gotta go back." He paused when he noticed the three Marines blocking his path, Takara's hands creeping to her _tessen_.

"Freeze!"

"Stop and let Helmeppo go!"

"Muu, which one is it?" Takara questioned irritably. "We can't do both." The Marines sweat dropped, having no idea if she was serious with her blank face, while Luffy lifted the blonde in front of him and Takara, the girl sliding an open _tessen_ towards his neck.

"No thanks," Luffy said. "But you can try and shoot us if you want." After all, they would be fine if they fired.

"AAAHHHH! DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT!" Helmeppo shrieked, acting like a perfect damsel in distress. Using the screaming as a distraction, Luffy took the chance, charging forward with Takara following, plowing straight through the men while the girl jumped up, comically smashing her foot into and using a Marine's face as leverage to boost her forward, leaving the rest in the dust.

~~風~~

Meanwhile at the crucifixion platform, Coby was trying to assist Luffy and Takara by freeing Zoro from the post so he could escape and wait for the pair. Hopefully Luffy and Takara could escape the line of fire.

"Please escape, Zoro-san, and fast!" Coby begged, his small fingers tugging and fiddling with the knots.

"That bastard Captain will kill you for what you're doing, you know!"

"No, I can't stand to leave you here. I can't stand the way the Marines are acting anymore. I want to be an honorable Marine!" Coby was being completely honest; he was utterly disgusted at the way the Marines had become like mice around a fat tomcat. They didn't have to follow Morgan's rule, a true Marine should be brave.

"Stop it kid! I can't leave yet! I've got ten more days left and-"

"Well, not quite," Coby cut in, just like Luffy did with him sometimes. "They're planning on executing you tomorrow."

"…What?!"

"Helmeppo never intended to honor your agreement, he was planning on killing you from the very start. That made Luffy and Takara so mad, he punched him and Takara hit him in the head!"

"Th-they…did that…for me?" Zoro questioned softly, stunned over the fact that pirates could have done something for a person like him. The warmth of gratefulness swelled inside of him over their actions, the faces of the smiling black haired boy and indifferent violet gazed girl appearing in his mind.

"Now the Marines are after Luffy and Takara for their actions. I'm not asking you to become a pirate. But please…save the both of them!" the boy begged as he continued to work. Zoro didn't respond, mulling it all over in his mind. If it was true about Helmeppo, (and it didn't really surprise him now that he thought about it), and those annoying kids, Luffy and Takara, were risking their necks for his sake, a complete stranger to them, well…

Meanwhile, Coby continued to speak again. "Luffy and Taara are the only ones who can save you from your execution…and I believe that you're also the only one who can save them both from a similar fate." Upon hearing those final words, Zoro's mind was made up.

"End of the line!" Captain Morgan called out to them both, making Coby stop as he and Zoro turned their heads to find a line of Marines facing them with drawn guns pointed at them. Morgan stood behind them, his axe arm hefted onto his shoulder as he glared at them.

"For the crime of treason against me, I'll execute the two of you where you stand!"

~~風~~

Finally, Luffy and Takara stood in front of a door, dragging Helmeppo between them, with a wreath of flowers on the door, a small sign reading _My room_. When they opened the door, the couldn't help but stare at the pink, frilly room that was more suited for a five year old girl with blank eyes. The black haired boy gave a slight sigh, "Yup, this is definitely his room," making Takara reply with her standard, "Muu", a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her head. They dropped the unmoving Helmeppo onto the deep red carpet as they started the search for Zoro's sword. Luffy quickly spotted three katanas leaning against the wall, two of them clad in black scabbards while the third was a pure white.

"What the-there are three of them?!" Luffy shouted in confusion, picking up one while Takara hefted another into her grasp, an eyebrow raised. There were no distinguishing marks or tags reading _Roronoa Zoro's, don't fucking touch_ anywhere, so it was impossible to guess which one belonged to the pirate hunter. Luffy stretched his arm to grab Helmeppo's collar to question him, only to discover he was out cold. He shrugged, letting the blonde fall back to the ground while Takara shot him a quizzical expression.

"He's passed out."

"Muu, perhaps he was tired."

Luffy gave a slight grin as he thought, _Or maybe he couldn't handle your killing aura any longer._ He might have been immune, but the straw hat boy wasn't _that _oblivious to completely ignore it.

"Anyway, let's just grab all three, Zoro'll tell us which one's his."

Nodding as she collected the three swords, Takara made her way to Luffy, who was glancing out the window. His eyes widened slightly to see both Zoro and Coby surrounded by Marines. Poor Coby was silently crying, his face in utter terror at the sight before him and even the great Pirate Hunter Zoro, was grimacing at the firing squad. A frown settled on his face before a playful grin spread as Luffy started to open the window.

"Let's give 'em a hand, Kara," he told her with a smile, making the girl's lip twitch up as she gave a swift nod while Morgan's voice filtered through the air.

"This is some interesting stuff you guys've pulled. Were you two and those pair from before, the straw hat and purple girl plannin' a coup or something?!"

"Tsk, I've always been one to fight alone. Unlike arrogant bastards like you who use soldier as expendable cronies!"

"HAHA!" Morgan bellowed, lowering his ax-arm. "Roronoa Zoro…don't you dare underestimate me. You may be a strong swordsman, but before my authority, you are nothing but a rat about to be exterminated. MEN, TAKE AIM!" he ordered at the solders. His men took up position, awaiting the order to fire, leaving Zoro unable to anything but to stare down into the face of death.

_I…can't afford to die here! _He thought in desperation, praying for a small miracle for him and the boy to walk out of this alive, even if he wasn't a deeply religious man. The echo of the girl resounded in his mind.

_You're still as weak as ever, Zoro!_

Back in the bedroom, Luffy strapped the three swords onto his back with Takara's help before they took up position in front of the opened, bay windows. He grabbed hold of the window sill, stepping back and stretching himself like a slingshot. Takra was a farther distance behind him, _Fuu _held in her grasp, open and prepared.

"GOMU-GOMU!"

"KAZE-KAZE!"

"ROCKET!

"_Zefā burasuto_!"

"FIRE!" Morgan shouted as his men, who quickly fired. They were however, slightly surprised to see dark shapes jolt in the sky above them, voices quickly following.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Takara screamed, breaking the normal mold of how she acted.

"WHAT SHE SAID!" Luffy shouted as they darted through the air. As they landed, Takara releasing hold of _Fuu_, causing the weapon to crash, still opened, into the ground, creating a barrier between the firing squad and the gang. There were a lot more openings, however, despite the fan's size. The quickly stood up, Luffy grinning like a maniac at the rush while a slightly flushed Takara held aloft the _shukusen Arashi _and another fan with a painted background of stormy grey clouds, the kanji reading _Tenpesuto_ (テンペスト). Seeing that the two had put themselves directly into the path of the streaking bullets, many were shocked but only a few voiced their surprise.

"LUFFY! TAKARA! NOOOOOOO!" Coby screamed in a panic.

"YOU TWO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Zoro shouted out as well.

"STRAW HAT! PURPLE GIRL!" Morgan shouted in anger.

Luffy quickly stood, spreading his arms out to make himself as wide a target as possible. Half of the bullets struck his skin, sinking in and stretching backwards as they followed their trajectory a good few feet as if he wasn't there at all. _Fuu _managed to deflect a great portion of the fired metal, some ricocheting off and making Marines dodge, yet no one was harmed. Takara, on the other hand, whipped out her iron _shukusen_ and began a dance that would have but many professionals to shame, slashing and deflecting the rest of the bullets. Had one watched in slow-motion, they would have managed to see the sailor-suit girl simply hold a fan to her face, slicing a speeding bullet directly in half, making the now harmless pieces shoot past her unharmed head.

A shower of metal fell to the ground as Takara shook her _shukusen _casually, the caught and damaged bullets clicking as they hit the ground. Everyone stared in shock at her and Luffy, whose rubbery body still had the bullets in it. Luffy meanwhile grinned deviously at the terrified Marines, sending the bullets flying away. One of the tiny balls shot just past Morgan's head.

"That doesn't work!" he cheered, laughing all the while. "We're really strong!"

"Muu!" Takara agreed, nodding her head with an eager light in her eyes. The Marines and Morgan were stunned, but Coby sighed in relief, happy to see they were unharmed. He only wished Luffy or Takara had mentioned the whole "bouncing bullets off my body" thing; he was sure his heart was going to give out due to stress!

Zoro, however, couldn't help but stare at Luffy and Takara in shock. While he was greatly surprised to see the boy simply bounce the bullets off of him, he was more impressed with the skill the sailor-suit girl had wielded. He had heard of _tessenjutsu_, but had never met or witnessed a user perform and he could say he was greatly impressed. Zoro had heard that a single practitioner of this art could defend against and even beat the finest of swordsmen. And the grace she had revealed…he would have blushed slightly under different circumstances.

"What the…Just who the hell are you?" Zoro managed to say, causing Luffy and Takara to swing their heads around. The straw hat boy gave his signature Monkey D. grin to the man while Takara actually managed a honest smile, not hiding behind her fan for once, the sight greatly surprising the swordsman.

"Muu, I'm Mizuno Takara, who aims to become the strongest pirate to sail the seas."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm the man whose going to become the King of the Pirates!" he announced, giving the pair behind him a thumbs up.

~~風~~

_Zoro: I'm gonna be the world's greatest swordsman!_

_Luffy: Great! Why not be the greatest swordsman pirate?_

_Takara: Muu, the current Greatest Swordsman is a Shichibukai, not much difference._

_Zoro: Don't say it like it's so easy!_

_Coby: The soldiers have started to go berserk!_

_Luffy: That's because we're enemies of the Marines! Here, I'll untie your ropes! We already got your sword!_

_Takara: Muu, it wasn't easy so you better be thankful._

_Mystery Orange Haired Girl: I gotta hurry! There has to be a map to the Grand Line in this base!_

_Luffy: Huh, the ropes have gotten tighter._

_Zoro: Yeah, yeah, just give me my swords!_

_Luffy: Jeeze, no need to be hasty!_

_Zoro: Save it for when we don't have to face a firing squad!_

_Takara: Muu, let me try. Next time on One Piece: True Treasure. Clashing Swords and Tessen: Luffy, Zoro, and Takara vs. Morgan. I aim to be the strongest!_

_Luffy: I'll be King of the Pirates!_

_Zoro: Will you two shut up and help already?!_

~~風~~

And to be continued in the next chapter. Whoot! I'm so happy with this, it's even more fun than I thought! I know I'm early, but I couldn't wait to post for a whole 'nother day! I actually started writing this chapter when I was halfway through with Chapter 1, so after finish said chapter, I just started rewriting and reviewing this chapter. It's really nice to share this with others and I'd like to thank the creators of One Piece once more, as well as innumerable Fanfiction writers who inspired me. I hope to someday be up to your quality. Anyone catch the _Naruto _reference?

If not, it's cool, although I wasn't being very subtle about it. I also slipped in an Avatar: The Last Airbender reference. More info listed below!

~~風~~

_Himitsu_-meaning secret.

_Haramaki_-a type of Japanese clothing that covers the stomach. It supposedly is to serve as a talisman to ward away harm and evil. During the First Sino-Japanese War and World War II, soldiers going off to fight were often given senninbari haramaki (1,000 stitch belt) by their loved ones.

_Onee-san, Aniki, and Nee-chan_- the elder siblings of Takara. While they don't have the same last name, they still are blood-relatives, as they rechristened themselves for as of yet unrevealed reasons. I won't divulge their identities yet, but they are two elder sisters and one big brother that originate from different animes. As Takara has hinted, all three of them are protective of her, as she is the youngest in the brood and their close bonds despite the distance. They'll show up soon enough, but they won't ever join the Straw hat Crew, as they have allegiances to other organizations, but they will still be supporters of the _nakama_.

_Onigiri_-The Japanese word for rice balls, steamed white rice molded into a sphere, often containing a second treat inside, a sort of surprise.

_Nakama_-This Japanese words translates to friend, but in this franchise it has a more important definition that applies directly to Luffy's crew as the series goes on.

_Bokken_-a Japanese wooden sword used during training that is about the same size and shape of a katana.

Ittoryu-literally meaning "One Sword Style" that is just that, a swordsman uses a single sword in combat.

_Nitoryu_-"Two Sword Style" where a swordsman uses two swords, one in each hand, in battle. This is the style Zoro used before obtaining his third sword.

_Arashi_- A medium sized _shukusen_, twice the size of Takara's hand, a heavy fan made of fine steel with silk between the spokes. The tips ribs are razor-sharp, and used for paring sharp weapons and slicing opponents. The inside of the fan is a background of red clouds with outlines of flames painted on the silk. The kanji for the word (嵐), meaning storm, is carved in red on the black background. It and _Tenpesuto _are Takara's go-to fans to use in combat and various wind-related attacks. It's hinted that there's more to this one fan than the rest, being part of the series of _tessen _known as _Fragments of the Sky_, a set of seven that Takara has in her possession.

_Sora_-Another _shukusen_ in the _Fragments of the Sky _series, it is the sky with the kanji written in pure orange on the handle (空). Like _Arashi_, it is also crafted of heavy steel and silk with razor sharp ribs and edges. The inside is a mixture of various shades of orange, from a soft peach to a vivid apricot, whose colors change depending on the intensity of the attack Takara uses. Similar to _Arashi_, Takara tends to use it for hand-to-hand combat, but she also uses it to propel her into the air, the fan being able to completely support the girl's weight. There more to this fan than a pretty accessory or mere fighting fan, a potential that has yet to be unveiled, but it's been suggestion that out of the six others, this is the most powerful out of its sister weapons.

_Sora-Kaze Blast_- Roughly translated into Sky-Wind Blast, this attack is only used by Takara while wielding _Sora_. By striking at the ground and creating a particularly strong blast of wind, Takara can launch herself into the sky, hence the name. It can also be used to redirect her gliding within the air, as well as to fill the sails of ships, although it is usually _Fuu_, as it is much larger.

_Tenpesuto_ - A medium sized _shukusen_, a heavy fan made of fine steel with silk between the spokes. The tips ribs are razor-sharp, and used for paring sharp weapons and slicing opponents. The inside of the fan is a stormy grey with stylized clouds painted on the silk, the kanji of the name (テンペスト), or tempest, inlaid in grey against the black hilt. It and its sister _tessen_,_ Arashi,_ are Takara's go-to fans to use in combat and various wind-related attacks.

~~風~~

Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter posted in a week. I want to try and keep a consistent posting going on, so wish me luck! Remember, reviews are love! Peace out!


	3. Clashing Swords and Tessen

**One Piece: True Treasure**

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder. OC, follows anime. OCx?

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I'm a day late posting the latest chapter! Reasons will be explained below, but I can't help but apologize.*Has complete Tohru Honda moment, blathering apologies repreatedly*

…Moving on, I'm pleasantly surprised that I've had a few reviews and that so many people have read my Fanfiction. I'd also like to add that I will keep this story as cannon as possible with the English subbed version of the anime, but I use two different sources to compare and contrast the translation. Takara's involvement obviously adds changes, but I will add my own personal flair to this story and minor crossovers with other animes, so expect some changes, such as smaller arcs and possible new members for the Straw Hat Pirates, but I WILL keep it as close to the original as possible.

There will be crossovers with other animes later on. And remember, One Piece belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda and any future anime references belong to the companies that created them. No profit is being made off of this Fanfiction, please support the official releases.

~~風~~

Chapter 3: Clashing Swords and _Tessen_; Luffy, Zoro, and Takara vs. Morgan!

_Never stop. Never stop fighting. Never stop dreaming…Tom Hiddleston._

~~風~~

_Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece._

_Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea._

"_You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"_

_And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age._

~~風~~

(The first opening song **We Are **plays.)

~~風~~

Inside the Marine Base crucifixion yard in Shells Town, Zoro and Coby could only watch with growing horror, their eyes wide with panic, as the Marines took aim, awaiting the command from the ruthless tyrant, Captain Morgan. The poor bespectacled boy had started to cry as he stood froze; he did not want to die after finally finding the courage to escape from Captain Alvida and before he could achieve his dream of becoming a Marine. He hadn't expected to be killed by a group of Marines. Zoro was having similar thoughts. The pirate hunter couldn't die yet, he still had a promise to keep and, if he died, he would die a failure. He refused to die before accomplishing his dream and fulfilling his promise to her.

"FIRE!" Morgan shouted, everything going in slow motion as the Marines pulled their triggers. As the bullets left the guns' barrels, a boy and a girl dropped from the sky in the middle of the fire, a massive iron _tessen _slamming into the ground to become a barrier, the musket shots practically bouncing off like tiny pebbles. The boy spread his arms as wide as possible, his rubber skin allowing the bullets to sink in, continuing their trajectory before snapping backwards. The girl, meanwhile, slashed at the incoming ball shells with her fans, redirecting, deflecting, and utterly destroying the bullets.

After the ordeal was over, the straw hat boy flung aside the bullets from his body and straightened as the purple pigtailed girl in a blue and white sailor-styled outfit relaxed herself from her defensive position, the caught bullets falling off the iron weapons. The boy began to laugh, a wide smile spreading ear to ear on his face while the girl hide her curled lips behind a fan, her eyes becoming _u_'s, pleased with their work and the stunned faces before them.

"That won't work on us! I told you we were strong!" he laughed insanely, clasping at his stomach over the hilarious expressions and reactions he received, the girl's fan lowering to reveal a coy smirk as she added, "Muu".

Despite all their years of hardships and experiences, the gathered Marines had never seen a girl deflect bullets with fans, let alone for a boy to simply to bounce bullets off his body. Morgan was the only one who didn't seem fazed, although Coby looked more relieved than stunned. Zoro was utterly floored, meanwhile, his eyes wide with shock as his face contorted into a mixture of disbelief, amazement, and a bit of anger, believing that those two had only jumped into their deaths. He didn't know why he cared so much over a pair of kids that he didn't know, yet, despite the fact he had only met them a few hours ago and was irritated at their constant bothering him, he was…reassured they were safe. Still, he was upset over the fact that the boy had some sort of insane ability that had protected him and the girl was more than skilled to dodge racing bullets and they hadn't bothered to tell him!

"JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU COULD DO THAT?!" he shouted at the pair in utter rage, his voice laced with panic. The boy turned his head, his manic smile turning sincere as he did the iconic Monkey D. grin while Takara cleared her ear out slightly, thinking she was going to go deaf because of the loud swordsman. A soft smile still graced her face all the same.

"Muu, I'm Mizuno Takara, who aims to be the strongest pirate to sail the seas."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm the man who'll be the King of Pirates!"

"N-Nani?! You're gonna become King of the Pirates and the strongest pirate? You idiots, don't you have any idea what that means?" Zoro questioned, even more worried than he was before. These two had to be crazy, they had no idea what sort of commitment it would take. They were only children, dreaming of lofty goals they could never achieve.

"King of the Pirates means King of the Pirates," Luffy said simply, stunning Zoro as he gave him a pointed look. "What else could it mean?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Muu, I know the risks, I'm willing to do it," Takara replied, crossing her arms over her chest. Zoro could only stare at them in shock, seeing the younger version of himself alongside the blue haired girl smiling up at him. Coby gave a soft laugh and began to elaborate to the confused Pirate Hunter.

"I was surprised too when they first told me, it's shocking, but they have the conviction for it! That's how they both are; Luffy has every intention to becoming the King of Pirates, obtaining the greatest treasure of them all, the One Piece. And Takara's completely serious about becoming the strongest! I mean…she's serious about just everything…" Coby muttered the last part softly, recalling the pigtailed girl's normal deadpan expression no matter what the occasion. Zoro couldn't help but gape at the pair in shock now, the small bit of respect he had had for them both growing even more now upon hearing their wiliness to die for their dreams. Luffy's grin widened during Coby's talk of the One Piece while Takara nodded, her serious face returning. Despite his rising appreciation for the two of them, Zoro still questioned if either or both of them had fallen on their heads one too many times as an infant.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Luffy stepped up, removing the trio of swords from around his back while Takara returned her attention to the Marines, practically begging them for a fight, given the large fighting aura leaking from her slim build, scaring the shit out of several soldiers. Luffy held the katanas out to the still tied up Zoro.

"Here ya go, just like we promised. Which one is it, there weren't any tags to tell the difference so we brought them all," Luffy explained, as if he expected the older male to take the swords from him, completely ignoring the fact he was still tied up. It was either that or he was mocking Zoro over the fact he couldn't use his weapon with asking for help…lets go with the first option, it is _Luffy_ after all, he's denser than the earth's crust.

"All three of them are mine," the pirate hunter said with a slight sigh, unable to believe it and giving up the pointless wiggling to free himself. "I use _santoryuu_, the Three Sword Style."

"Muu, I should have known," Takara muttered softly under her breath.

"Ok then, better take them then. But just so you know, if you fight with 'Kara and me now, the government will consider you a villain. It's either that or get killed by the Marines, execution style," Luffy said, a playful grin on his face, looking at his forced comrade. The fact he was smiling made several watching consider him the direct kin of a demon.

"Either way, it's a bad choice, but if you come with us, you'll stand a shot of living longer," the purplette offered in a slightly smug voice, turning to face her captain and prospective crewmate, also appearing to be demonic to several people.

Zoro could only stare at the two of them incredulously before smirking in such a dark way that it would make just about anyone wail like a school girl, yet it had no effect on Luffy and Takara. "You both are the children of the Devil to laugh at a cornered man. Fine. If it's between that or following my dream…I don't really have a choice, but to become a pirate!"

Luffy cheered, launching up into the air, while Takara's smirk morphed into a satisfied smile, nodding as she raised _Arashi _in a mock salute. "You'll be out _nakama_! You can be first mate! This is great, yosh!" he shouted, the katanas raised above his head.

"Muu, Luffy-" Takara began, noticing Zoro's peeved expression before Zoro snapped in.

"WILL HURRY UP AND UNTIE ME ALREADY!" While he was also pleased with joining the unusual pair, Zoro. Wanted. OUT! After being tied up for so long, his muscles would no doubt be aching when he was finally released and, given the current situation, he'd have to act fast if he, his new captain, and crewmate were going to escape. With an embarrassed laugh, Luffy and Coby began to do so, Takara calmly spinning on her heel to walk up to the crucifixion pole.

The Marines were still in shock over Luffy's revealed powers and Takara's skill. "What the…what the hell is he?" one man asked, not at all expecting an answer, still wondering if the whole "seeing is believing" line was real. "The bullets just bounced right off him!"

"What's with that girl, how'd she block them all?!"

Morgan stepped forward, holding his large ax-hand as he directed his narrowed gaze at the troublesome boy and girl. "That Straw Hat is no ordinary boy; he must have eaten one of the legendary Devil Fruits."

This caused a stir amongst the Marines, several whispering to one another in surprise.

"The Devil Fruits?"

"The treasure of the sea!"

Morgan silenced them all as he began to talk again. "The Devil Fruits, they say that those who even eats a single bite from one of those can obtain unlimited power through other-worldly abilities granted to them. The power to breathe fire, the power to create tsunamis. Rumors claim that there are many types of these Fruits, but there is little to no concrete knowledge about them. It's said that the secret to the Devil Fruits lies somewhere hidden in the Grand Line. Either way, Straw Hat must have consumed one of those Devil Fruits and has developed a special power from it."

During the whole explanation from Morgan, Luffy and Coby were fruitlessly yanking and untying knots in an effort to release Zoro, while Takara tried to gain their attention, her face blank save for a slight twitch. In his hurry, the black haired boy only seemed to make the knots even tighter. Zoro and Coby became more anxious and hissed at Luffy to hurry up, all of them ignoring Takara.

"I doubt the girl has a Devil Fruit ability, there were no abnormalities to her; she must simply be skilled. It doesn't matter what abilities either possess, all those who oppose me are traitors. If guns don't work THEN CHOP THEM TO BITS!" Morgan shouted, raising his ax into the air as his men pulled out their swords before charging the quartet. Coby shrieked in a panic and even Zoro was looking a bit worried at the incoming Marines. Luffy, meanwhile, was ignorant of the noise, trying to free Zoro, while Takara's eye twitched.

"This is actually a lot harder than it looks," Luffy muttered before Takara, unable to take it anymore, shoved him out of the way.

"Muu! Move!" she ordered to Luffy, raising her _tessen_, slicing at the ropes efficiently, making Zoro shut his eyes slightly. A moment later, rope lay on the ground in pieces, the Pirate Hunter finally freed, and unharmed, from his bonds.

"GIVE ME MY DAMNED SWORDS NOW!" he shouted at Luffy, who quickly passed them over, now aware of the charging Marines.

"LUFFY-SAN! TAKARA-SAN!" Coby cried out in horror, covering his eyes before he could see anything. Although his eyes were closed, he could still hear everything. A loud clashing of metal could be heard before all grew silent, yet the boy felt no pain, making his open a wary eye before his jaw dropped at the sight before him.

Zoro stood facing him and Luffy, holding the two swords from the black scabbards in either hand while the white katana was firmly grasped within his jaw. He had managed to block the Marines with all three blades, his extreme strength forcing the Marine's swords to pause in mid-air as he still held them back. Captain Morgan couldn't hold back his shock at the sight before him, his brows furrowed as his teeth ground together in anger. Luffy was grinning in delight at the skill of his new first mate, although he looked concerned about Takara's position. In his haste, Zoro had accidentally knocked the purple eyed girl over, her ass flat on the ground as her elbows propped her chest up with her _tessen _scattered on the ground before her. She gave the swordsman a weary glare before sighing and, pushing with the palms of her hands, leaped to her feet, snatching the fans up in quick movements. Several of the Marines gasped and tried to move out of Zoro's hold, but before they could even move an inch, the swordsman's narrowed gaze locked onto them with a glare that would have killed a puppy, leaking an aura of death and destruction.

"Make one move and you die," he snarled in a most intimidating manner from around his sword. His expression that could only have come Satan himself was enough to cause many of the soldiers to openly weep, making others want to turn tail and flee.

"He's too scary!" one wailed in utter horror, his voice cracking due to his terror.

Zoro turned his attention back to Luffy, the sun shining down on all of them. "From this moment on, I'll become a pirate, you have my word. By opposing the Marines, I've officially become a wanted man…but let me make one thing clear," he added, his voice muffled slightly from the white katana in his jaw. "I will always pursue my own ambition!" he snarled with conviction, a fiery glare present in his eyes. Luffy and Takara knew he was serious, understanding what he meant. A separate goal than from what the crew as a whole wanted, one that only he could achieve.

"Which is?" Luffy asked, his face falling into serious as well as Takara stepped forward to yank _Fuu _straight out from the ground, shaking the dirt off of the _tessen_. The straw hat captain nodded solemnly, silently agreeing to whatever it was Zoro wished to do, despite not hearing it first.

"I aim to be nothing less than the World's Greatest Swordsman," he snarled. Takara paused in her cleaning of her weapon, the bells holding aloft her pigtails ringing slightly as her purple gaze widened at the title. "And if something should happen along the way that stops me from reaching my goal…you'll have to take responsibility. I'll have you commit _seppuku _as an apology." His tone was utterly serious, as was his expression; he would never go back on his promise.

While most others would have shaken under those fierce words, Luffy and the now-recovered Takara were not moved. They understood his seriousness; should their own goals have been detained, the ones responsible would have been swiftly and mercilessly dealt with in a similar way, although they probably would have down it by themselves. They both silently agreed to respect Zoro's request, doing their best to allow the swordsman the chance to continue his goal.

"The World's Greatest Swordsman huh?" Luffy asked serious, but a cheerful grin was on his lips. "That's a wonderful goal to have; the King of the Pirates would have no less on his crew! You'll get along great with Takara, she'll be a big help to you I'm sure!" he said with a nod, delighted with choosing Zoro; he was just the man for the job.

"Muu, just try and keep up _baka kenshi_," Takara said, hefting _Fuu _onto her shoulder in a way reminiscent of a musket, a teasing light in her eyes.

Zoro grinned slightly around his katana, pleased with the honest words from Luffy and the playful teasing from the girl was kind of cute. "Now you're both talking, Captain, _kaze shōjo_. From this point on, no matter if I'm called a devil or a saint, my name will still be spread throughout the world all the same!" Luffy only grinned wider as Takara cocked her head to one side, her lips twitching slightly at those words.

Captain Morgan, meanwhile, was not moved by the scene before him in the slightest, tired of the exchange as he turned his attention back to his Marines. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING THERE! KILL THEM THIS INSTANT?!" he snapped angrily, making many of the men flinch in shock and fear. They had completely forgotten what they were supposed to do, terrified of the demon before them. Luffy and Takara, meanwhile, fixed their gaze onto them.

"Better duck Zoro," the straw hat boy warned cheerfully, standing on his right leg and preparing his other foot while Takara tucked _Fuu _back onto her back, _Arashi _and _Tenpesuto_ in her hands. Zoro's eyes widened in understanding, pushing at the Marines' swords with his katana before ducking down to his knees.

"Gomu-Gomu!"

"Kaze-Kaze!"

"Whip!"

"_Kūchūsakuretsu_!"

With that being said, Luffy swung his left leg forward. The limb stretched out, forming something akin to a rubbery whip. The gathered Marines he hit were jerked to the side, collapsing onto the ground in a groaning heap. Takara, meanwhile, shot forward, clashing her _tessen _together, forcing the air to burst forward, knocking over the remaining Marines. The force was so strong, even Takara was knocked backwards a bit, her heels digging into the ground for more traction. Morgan and his remaining men could only gape as the leg returned to Luffy's body and Takara darted back to the other teen's side, shocked to see how the men had been defeated in only two blows, one from each.

"You're both amazing!" Coby shouted. "You knocked them all down!"

"Like dominos," Takara noted, a thoughtful expression on her face as Zoro stood up, still holding onto his katanas, also greatly impressed by their skill.

"What the hell are you, Luffy?"

"I ate the Gumo-Gumo no Mi when I was younger, so I'm a rubber man," he said with a grin, playfully wiggling his leg before standing up straight again. Zoro was confused, but managed a nod, glancing at the purplette beside the straw hat, silently wondering if she had eaten something similar.

She seemed to understand, shaking her head from side to side, bells strangely silent now. "Muu, I've just spent a long time practicing. My Niisama was a holy terror," she muttered, her face falling into horror and fear, her eyes reflecting the years of terror and unthinkable exercises. She still had the marks of the training, both mental and physical, a particularly jagged scar on the back of her right knee. Zoro noticed her change in expression and decided not to push her.

"A r-rubber person!" one of the Marines stuttered, listening in on Luffy's words.

"So he does have Devil Fruit powers," Morgan said gruffly. His men turned to him, trying to convince him to stop the attack on the odd trio, motivated by fear of the unknown and the frightful, now freed and armed Zoro. A few decided to speak up, knowing there was no way they could defeat Luffy or Takara, let alone Zoro!

"Captain, we don't stand a chance against them!"

"These guys are insane!"

"We couldn't handle Zoro by himself, but these two others make it impossible!"

Luffy, Zoro, and Takara turned their expression to the group behind them, curious to see if they were launching another frontal-assault on them again. Morgan gritted his teeth in frustration at his men's incompetency and the idiotic pair that were such a thorn in his side. A vein throbbed dangerously on his forehead as he leveled a glare at the gathered Marines. "This is a direct order! Every Marine that has just showed weakness and spoken out of turn, must now pull out their guns and shoot themselves in the head. I have no use for cowardly and incompetent soldiers who can't even carry out a single, simple order."

The Marines could only stare at their commanding officer in horror, as did the trio of pirates and Coby. Under the piercing gaze from Morgan, several terrified Marines shakily lifted their guns to point their muskets to their head, believing that perhaps a single bullet through the skull was an easier and less painful way to go than being bludgeoned to death. Takara's eyes narrowed while Luffy and Zoro glared at Morgan with all the anger they had. While it was true that they had been the men to attack them, the Marines were only following orders from the sadistic Captain and all three of them couldn't help but think they had been insulted and ridiculed far too much. And now this…

"These guys are insane," Zoro muttered. Compared with the subtle threatening from Luffy, this was nothing but a lose-lose situation that Morgan had created for his men. The choice between suicide, the coward's way out, and death at Morgan's hands, no man should have to make that choice. Takara said nothing, purple eyes hard as her hands clenched at the pair of _tessen_ so that she held them in a death grip. Luffy couldn't say anything, his rage building as his eyes turned red once more, just like with Helmeppo, only a thousand times worse. He shot forward, alongside Takara, their target in their sights, glaring at him with narrowed eyes, their faces contorted into glares. Coby screamed after them in a panic, horrified that they would get themselves killed, although he should probably know better by now; those two were gambling against Death and winning every round, even when He tried to use loaded dice.

"Crush these Marines!" Coby managed to scream out, breaking free from his panic to cry out at them. The pair ran past the stunned crowd of Marines, heading straight for Captain Morgan, ready to pound him into submission. Morgan, while stunned over the fact that the two were aiming at him, was never the less able to deflect Luffy's fist and Takara's _tessen_ with his ax-hand held over his chest, three slight dents forming in the metal, one from Luffy and two from Takara. Zoro removed his white katana from his mouth to watch his captain and fellow crewmate deal with the bastard, intrigued in how they would fight against him.

Morgan ripped off his blue officer's coat, throwing it to the side as he said, "Rank-less, low-status bums have no right whatsoever to defy me! I am Marine Captain "Ax-Hand" Morgan!" he shouted at them both.

"I'm Luffy, this is Takara! Nice to meetcha!" Luffy said, a glare still in his eyes.

"Muu, greetings bastard Captain."

Morgan's eye twitched violently as he shouted, "Go to hell!" at the two of them, charging forward towards them. He missed, thankfully, as Luffy and Takara leaped to either side, the boy keeping one hand on his straw hat. Once more, Morgan swung his ax down right at them, only for them jump away and the ax slammed into the ground, creating a large fissure in the soil, much to everyone's surprise. In midair, Luffy straightened in his jump to plant both of his feet onto Morgan's face, sending the Captain to stagger back. Takara, meanwhile, had landed behind the man and bent down, swinging the closed _Fuu _into the back of his knees, making him fall to the ground. Morgan growled at the pair of them, Luffy landing beside Takara, snapping _Fuu _open to reveal its impressive size.

The Marines were in utter shock over the fact that the two teenagers were delivering a smack down onto their commander without breaking a sweat.

"The Captain!" One shouted as Morgan rose back onto his feet, glaring down at the two teenagers with utter rage in his eyes.

"You r-runts," he growled angrily, staggering to his feet and grasping the handle of his ax-arm with his sole hand. Luffy and Takara shot off directly at him. He raised his arms up, preparing to slice the pair in half. "DIE!" he shouted, slamming his ax down. Luffy, however, managed to spin away in mid-air while Takara deflected the ax with _Fuu_. She closed the fan directly onto the blade, forcing Morgan to stay where he was while Luffy grinned, kicking him dead-on in the head, causing the older man to slam into the ground. Not to be left out, Takara unhooked _Fuu_, ramming in onto the man's chest, making him inhale sharply.

"Captain Morgan…"

"He's getting his ass handed to him," some Marines began to whisper with awe and respect in their voices as they watched the scene before them.

Morgan tried to get up, but _Fuu _was once more slammed into his gut, pinning him down while Luffy roughly grabbed him by the collar, glaring down at him with his narrowed onyx orbs. Takara kept a firm hold on her _tessen_, her purple eyes barely seen through the slits her eyes had formed.

"And you call yourself a Marine! They are supposed to be brave and fearless, yet here you are, abusing your power and men! You've destroyed Coby's dream!" he shouted, punching the man across the face as Takara dug _Fuu_ into his chest more. The boy raised his fist, prepared to get one more hit in when he and the purplette froze at a loud shout.

"HOLD IT!"

Together, Luffy and Takara turned their heads to see Helmeppo standing next to Coby, holding a gun directly to the pink haired boy's skull. Takara's eyes widened as Luffy nevertheless followed through on the punch and delivering a second unaware as the purple haired girl stepped away, dropping _Fuu _on her way towards the captive.

"I SAID TO WAIT! NOBODY MOVE OR I'LL KILL HIM!" Helmeppo screamed angrily, his knees knocking in fear.

The gathered Marines watched with baited, shocked breath at the bratty, yet timid son of the captain, waiting to see what the two teenagers would do. Zoro also watched, his expression blank as he had full confidence in Takara's skills, yet was curious to see what she would do.

"IF YOU VALUE HIS LIFE, DON'T MOVE!"

Luffy watched with a blank face as Takara paused, her purple eyes probing. Coby was shaking furiously, yet…His soul calmed upon seeing Luffy's comforting grin, Takara cocking her head and holding _Arashi _to her lips, one eye curling into a _u_, both silently promising him that he'd be safe.

"Luffy, Takara! Don't worry about me!" the hostage Coby shouted, his fist clenching. "I don't want to be in your ways. I'm not afraid of death!"

"Yeah, I know. You can go ahead, Takara," the straw hat boy said, placing a hand on his right bicep, just in case. He had full confidence in his friend, but it never hurt to be prepared. She gave a soft nod, continuing to walk straight up to Helmeppo. The Marines were in utter shock, did this girl have no sense of self-perseverance or care for the boy?! Zoro and Luffy watched with interest, while Coby mentally prepared himself, all with complete trust in the girl.

"D-DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!" he stuttered in fear, the gun trembling in his hands. "I SWEAR I'LL SHOOT HIM!" Despite the shaking, Takara noticed a very important fact about the pistol in the blonde's grasp.

"Muu, do you really intent to take his life, Helmeppo?" she inquired, her violet bands covering her same hued eyes, mere inches away from the blonde male, the grip on her _tessen _surprisingly light. Helmeppo opened his mouth to reply, but she cut in before he had a chance, her voice soft.

"I don't think you can…because you've never taken a person's life before. You hide behind your father and order the executions, yet your hands are unsullied by blood. They are as clean as a child, despite everything your father as done. But…do you think that killing Coby will make you a man in your father's eyes? It will change nothing."

Takara gave a soft, melancholy mile as she lifted her face to the sky, her eyes distant. "I know a person, a man barely older than you actually. He had the worst life; his childhood ruined when his parents were killed before his eyes before he and his siblings were taken and imprisoned for two years, experimented on in such cruel conditions that it was a miracle they managed to survive. Little more than a year or so after their capture, he managed to single-handedly slaughter most of the scientists and staff that had held them there."

No one spoke, many horrified at the details of cruelty as Helmeppo swallowed sharply. He had heard of such experimentations, but to perform them on children…? And for one boy to take out an entire team of scientists and who knows who else? Takara bowed her head now, as though mulling over her words.

"Many could argue that the boy had the right to that act, revenge for the deaths of his parents, retribution for his and his siblings capture and torture, payback for his younger twin who lost an eye due to the experiments. And yet…it did nothing in the end for him. It did not bring his parents back from the dead, nor did it return the lost years they had missed and his sister's eye did not miraculously grow back. Most of all, he could never regain the innocence he had once possessed, the blood was too thick on his hands.

"In the end…he had only became what those scientists were…a murderer," Takara whispered, her eyes closed as she could see the sight of a bloodstained boy crying out his hatred for the world, a red stained small hand holding his own tightly in an act of comfort. "He let the hate consume him and it took years for him to finally learn to live without thinking the world nothing but a cruel trap to all," Takara said, lifting her head to look at Helmeppo with a pained smile, her purple eyes pleading. "So please, don't end up like him or your father. Just please," she said, holding an empty hand out. "Hand me the gun, so this nightmare can finally end. You may have bad qualities, but you aren't a murderer. If you kill Coby, you'll only live to regret it, like that person has come to as he aged."

Takara's voice remained soft and gentle, as though reprimanding a child. Helmepppo couldn't help but blink back tears, trying to come up with a comeback…but how could he? He had at first thought she had been lying, but those eyes held all the pain and abuse of a ruined childhood, something no one could fake, no doubt she had seen it too. Her words echoed in his mind, playing back like a record. She knew it all so well, she must have been incredibly close to that person. But…Did he really want to kill the kid? Would that prove to his father that he was a real man? He just…he didn't want to, the very thought of murder made him sick. This girl was right, killing wouldn't make him a man, it would make him…

He saw the sad smile again, imploring him, the stretched out pale hand. Carefully, he reached out, depositing the gun into her grasp, surprising many. Takara gazed at him, that soft smile still there before she continued to talk.

"I thought you didn't want to, you didn't even remove the safety," she said, directing his gaze to the pin that prevented the gun from firing. She tossed the harmless weapon away, not aware that it flew to the opposite side of the yard from her throw. "Muu, this might hurt a bit," the girl said, her hand suddenly flashing out to jab Helmeppo's neck, instantly knocking him out as he fell to the ground.

Everyone's jaws dropped at that while Takara simply sighed, her smile slowly fading back to her expressionless façade while Luffy laughed, lowering his hand and walking over to join his friend, clapping her shoulder cheerfully.

"Best helmswoman ever!" the straw hat boy said as she turned to face him. "You're great at talking with people!" No one dared disagree or agree with the comment, she might have talked Helmeppo out of it, but it was painfully clear Takara preferred scaring the shit out of people more than holding a pleasant conversation. After all, actions speak louder than words.

"Muu, I learned to be charismatic from you," she remarked, her eyes closed. Coby gazed up at them both in awe, before his expression turned into shock as he saw something over their shoulders, his eyes terrified.

"LUFFY-SAN, TAKARA-SAN! BEHIND YOU!"

The both turned their heads to the side, surprise filtering into their eyes as they saw Morgan charging at them, ax-hand raised with wild eyes, shouting out, "I am…the great Marine Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan!" His arm began to swing down in its arc due to gravity and his thrust, Luffy grimacing as he tried to shield Takara and Coby the best he could. He knew that he wouldn't have time to save all three of them, _Fuu _too far away for his friend to block the blow, and if he tried to dodge the attack, it would strike Coby or Takara.

However, an inch before even touching the precious straw hat on Luffy's head or one of the slightly ringing bells in Takara's hair, Morgan's ax hovered, the man in question in a great deal of pain. Behind him, Zoro landed on the ground, his grip on his three blades tight, the Marine falling to the ground with a pained cry, blood spurting out from the wounds that had been dealt to him by the speedy swordsman. It was obvious to everyone that the Captain wouldn't get up from the ground for quite some time as he landed heavily.

Luffy lowered his arms from around Takara and Coby, his onyx gaze along with plum orbs watching Zoro slide all three of his swords into the sheaths hung on his right side from his _haramaki_.

"Thanks," Luffy said, a grin spreading on his face as he watched his first mate, Takara's lips twitching slightly as she gave a calm, "Muu, could have been faster, _baka tenshi_."

"My pleasure…Captain, _kaze shōjo_," Zoro replied, grinning from behind his white katana. Luffy grinned widely upon hearing the word "captain", Takara's eyebrow twitching slightly but she nevertheless managed a wan smile, making Zoro turn his head away slightly, embarrassed.

"Are you both okay?" Coby questioned, deeply concerned over the pair of teenagers, still slightly stunned the two of them had protected him. Upon seeing Luffy nod and hearing Takara's "Muu" of acquittal, he sighed in relief before continuing. "Thank you, Luffy, Takara. You saved my life again."

"That was nothing," Luffy said dismissively while Takara shrugged. They tended to save each other's lives on a regular basis, it wasn't that much different, although they had stopped thanking the other after the fifteenth occasion. "You're getting braver thought, risking your life like that. You're gonna be a great Marine someday, Coby!"

Coby blushed at the praise while Takara nodded furiously, scratching his head in embarrassment. Shouts from the Marines could be heard, stunned that their Captain had been defeated, reminding the gang that they were still surrounded by an audience, the weary fighters wondering if they had to repeat their fight once more.

"If anyone else still wants to catch us, come forward," Zoro ordered, begging for another fight as Takara lifted _Fuu_, propping the _tessen_ like one would a rifle, a look of challenge on her own face, despite _Arashi _hiding her face. The Marines could only stare at each other in shock, their hands tight on their weapons before something happened that stunned the crew of three and Coby. They flung their guns and swords up into the air, cheering hysterically, the reign of Morgan's terror finally at an end. _Are they all idiots?_ Takara couldn't help but wonder with a sweat drop as a few men screeched as they dodged the rapidly falling swords before they landed in their feet, promptly returning to partying. You'd have thought that Marines would have thought that one out more…Zoro could only cock his head, a look of surprise on his face, Luffy greatly confused.

"Huh? Everyone's happy their Captain's been defeated…"

Coby, on the other hand, was ecstatic as he shouted, "Morgan was only ruling through fear!"

Luffy and Takara managed a shrug, appearing not to care. They were, however, glad it was all over. No longer would this town have to suffer from the cruelness of the ax-handed commander, free to live their lives in peace. The purple eyed girl turned to Zoro, managing a slight smile at the banana-wearing man. He blinked, slightly surprised before he returned the grin. It wasn't the thrill of victory that made him smile, but the fact he would be traveling with those two soon enough. They were not only skilled, but had a determination he had not seen in a long time. Luffy was one crazy kid and Takara followed him like an emotionless puppy, surely insane adventures were ahead, but that just meant that their journeys would never get boring. However, the pleasant atmosphere was soon ended as Zoro's body gave a spasm and his vision spun before he fell backwards onto the ground with a slight grunt. Luffy and Coby gasped while Takara managed a slight "Muu" with wide eyes, before all three of them darted to the fallen swordsman's side, who laid spear eagle out on the ground.

"Z-Zoro-san!" Coby screamed. "Are you okay? What's wrong?!" The pink haired boy was in a panic. The elder man must have gotten hurt somehow and aggravated his injuries even more. Takara knelt down beside him, shoving her face towards his, purple eyes scanning. Zoro managed to open one eye slowly, looking slightly bewildered at the girl's closeness, a few strands of purple hair trailing over his face, but nevertheless glanced at all three of them leaning over him with a bored stare.

"…I'm...so hungry…" he groaned, his voice hoarse with hunger and thirst, exhaustion plain. His stomach growled loudly at that moment, echoing his words perfectly. Luffy blinked slowly before he threw back his head and laughed, Takara shaking her head with jingling bells, torn between amusement and scorn. Quickly, she and Luffy of them heaved the older man up onto their shoulders, dragging him towards the town, Coby quickly following as they left the Marines to celebrate.

~~風~~

Meanwhile, just outside the now "Ex" Captain Morgan's office, the familiar orangette stood up, briskly brushing her hands as if to whip away dirt. "Sorry. Just endure it for a while!" she said cheerfully to two Marines, who sat tied up and gagged in rope, their curses muffled as the girl turned towards the large, elaborate doors.

Inside the richly decorated office, the girl searched through the contents of an ornate chest and the desk. Other than some incriminating evidence that could put Morgan behind bars for a very long time, which she left out in plain sight for the other Marines to find, the girl was disappointed that her search had failed. She continued to shift through the drawers, muttering, "Doesn't seem to be in here, either…"

Glancing up from her spot to check if anyone was approaching, she spotted a pair of barrels pushed up against the walls. Poking out from around one, was a small silver handle, the dial to a safe. She grinned in delight and eagerly set to work, shoving the barrels aside and casually pulled the lever. Much to her surprise, it was already unlocked. While most would have been suspicious, the girl took it in stride and opened the door, peaking in to smile as she spotted the object of her desires: a rolled up piece of parchment, a bit ripped and ruffled, but its contents would be worth far more than the mere pouch of silver she had snagged during her search of the room.

"That's it! The chart of the Grand Line! I knew they were hiding it here!" she said, her hand reaching out to snatch up the scroll. She eagerly unrolled it, before all the joy sapped out of her face to become horror and surprise. Instead of the elusive map of the Grand Line that she had been searching for for some time now, there was nothing more than a peculiar looking Jolly Roger with a big red nose and four lines coming from the eyes, some kanji scrawled underneath it. She gasped as she read the words.

"_I've flashily taken the map! Buggy!"_

"This isn't the charter! Whose' mark is this!"

Suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks, the darkened form of a man in a cape and harlequin hat with a very distinct nose coming to mind.

"Captain Buggy…otherwise known as Buggy the Immortal," she snarled angrily, crumbling the paper in her hands. This only made her job that much harder, breaking into a Marine Base was child's play compared to breaking into Buggy's base of operations to steal the map. Most would call it suicide, but for her, she was willing to take the risk.

She had no other choice.

~~風~~

Outside Ririka's restaurant, huge crowds of people gathered, trying to peak through the windows to catching sight of the three heroes who singlehandedly had saved their island. The trio in question were stuffing themselves silly with copious amounts of food.

"Ah…Oh man, I'm full! I hadn't eaten in three weeks, I was really at the ends of my ropes," Zoro said with a content sigh, rubbing his slightly bulging belly happily. He had removed his bandana, tying it to his left arm, to reveal short light green locks. Rika, Coby, and Ririka watched him and laughed heartily, the young girl helping her mother while Coby finished his own plate. Zoro had managed to eat eight plates worth of delicious homemade food and was as stuffed as a massive teddy bear. Luffy held out his empty plate, asking for his umpteenth refill, removing the fork from his mouth as he did so, deciding to tease his new swordsman.

"Huh? You finished already? Takara and I are still going strong," Luffy remarked, gesturing with his fork at the girl beside him. She was eating a salad at a steady pace with blank eyes, appearing as though she was slowing down. The astonishing stack of plates beside her, however, revealed how much she had actually eaten. Despite her slight size, she could easily pack away as much as her captain it could, apparently. "Weakling, huh 'Kara."

"Muu." If there had been one thing the two of them had learned while living under the same roof, along with a certain formidable old man, if you didn't guard your food with your life and eat quick, you wouldn't eat at all. It only took them a night of growling bellies to take that lesson to heart. It didn't help they both had older siblings that had fought with them over food, although Takara's had been much gentler on her than Luffy's brother. But her Niisama was the worst.

"How the heck can you two have bigger appetites than me?!" Zoro said, stunned slightly. "Aren't girls supposed to eat like birds and keep a trim figure?" he questioned, staring at the purplette as she started on some fruit, completely surprised at how she and the boy hadn't gained an ounce in their bellies.

She shot him a withering look, chewing on her pineapple with obvious delight before answering. "Muu, Luffy and I are still growing teenagers; we need a lot of nutrients in our lives for our continuing growth. Add into the fact that we are constantly active and burning calories, we're plenty hungry from our fight from earlier. Luffy has a fast metabolism too with his Devil Fruit powers," Takara added, glancing at the straw hat boy. "Besides, who cares about that old crap about girls starving themselves; better a curvy girl than an anorexic bitch as Onee-san says," she shrugged, popping another piece into her mouth. For some reason, that sounded familiar to Zoro, reminding him of a certain spiky haired bounty hunter.

"Mhmm, besides, its good food. It just tastes good, right Coby?" Luffy said cheerfully, digging into his latest plate with gusto.

Coby chuckled, having become accustom to Luffy and Takara's appetites and inability to gain even a microgram of belly fat. "It is pretty good. Thank you for the meal," he said, turning to express his gratitude to Ririka.

The brunette smiled pleasantly, cleaning a glass behind the bar, reminding Luffy and Takara a great deal of another barmaid back home. "My pleasure. After all, you four saved this town from Morgan. We owe you all a great debt." Ririka's words echoed the sentiments of many of the citizens, who all held such high regards towards the heroes of Shells Town.

"You both are so amazing!" Rika said, addressing Luffy and Takara, staring at the two of them in awe. "I wanna be just like you, nee-chan," she said to the purple haired girl, who blinked slowly before reaching a hand in her pocket, shifting around as Luffy grinned, despite his full mouth.

"Thanks! Takara's grateful too, and we're gonna be even cooler! I'm going to be even more amazing once I become King of the Pirates and find the One Piece. And best of all, I'm building my crew," he remarked, turning to face Zoro.

"So how many others have you gathered besides me?" he asked cheerfully, getting into the mood now. It was impossible not to with the boy's exuberance Luffy took a bite of his steak. "You said you were in the middle of gathering a crew. To be King of the Pirates, you must have already gathered a good number."

"Just you and Takara," the straw hat said, pointing his fork at the girl next to him.

Zoro blinked, not understanding for a minute before raising a shaky finger to point at Luffy, Takara, and then himself, a dumbfounded expression spreading across his face. "Wait you just mean you, her...and me?"

"Yep, just the three of us," Luffy agreed, cheerfully chewing on his food.

"Muu," Takara added, nodding her head.

"We're gonna call just the three of us a pirate crew?!" Zoro questioned in disbelief. What the hell was with these two? They HAD to have been dropped on their heads as babies, he was sure of it now.

"So what? We're all strong enough to take on anything thrown our way."

"Alright, but do you at least have a decent ship?" Zoro questioned with a sigh, deciding to let the boy win this round. The trio of them was pretty talented and he didn't know the full extent of the two in front of him. Still, he couldn't ignore the ominous feeling building up inside of him. Takara stood up, holding a tiny _tessen_ in her hand now, the kanji of _Kyōfū_ (強風) carved and inked in black in the polished sandalwood frame. She pointed out the window, directing Zoro's gaze outside. The green haired man could only stare at the small dingy moored at the waterfront. It was tiny, barely enough room for the two teens to squeeze onboard, but with Zoro added, it would only add to the problem. At that moment, a dog sniffing the edge of it lifted its leg to urinate on the pitiful vessel.

"…You're kidding right?" he asked with a drop of sweat sliding down the side of his face, his voice tinged with exasperation, glancing back at the two of them. It was obvious from the blank face from Takara that she wasn't kidding. Actually, Zoro would be surprised if the stoic girl ever managed to crack a joke.

"Nope," Luffy chuckled, popping the letter p to emphasis the point. "But we'll soon have a huge ship before long!" The boy threw his arms into the air to stress the point.

Zoro gave a laugh at his situation and the thick headedness of his new captain as Takara nodded with blank eyes. "And how are we going to do that?"

"And I'd like a pirate flag too!" Luffy said hopefully, ignoring Zoro's questioning, imagining himself standing at the prow of a massive ship with a sword in hand, his own personal Jolly Roger blowing in the wind. Takara wasn't too far away, _Fuu _opened beside her as she scanned the horizon.

Zoro sweated a bit more as Luffy was in lala land, Takara now eating rice and pineapple with chopsticks in the background while the swordsman silently questioned why he was following an idiot. Coby couldn't help but take pity on Zoro, so he decided to explain.

"Luffy-san wasn't born with any ability to plan things out, but Takara keeps his feet on the ground…when she isn't in the clouds either," he admitted, glancing over to see a dazed Takara staring out the window. Had anyone looked in her mind, they would have seen her standing in the crow's nest of the same ship Luffy had envisioned, a blush on her cheeks as she gazed at an adorable little, white furred monkey on her shoulder.

"…And a monkey too," she muttered distantly, nodding to Luffy. Much to everyone's surprise, Takara had a fondness for overly cute things, her only apparent weakness that they could see.

"Am I really going along with these too?" Zoro questioned, slapping a hand onto his forehead as he sank down into his chair, wondering when in his past life he had screwed up so badly to deserve this.

Luffy quickly emerged from his imagined world, filing the design of the ship away in his mind wistfully. "Mah, we'll get more nakama before long!" he huffed, waving his fork in exaggerated motions while Takara wondered if they should have a reindeer instead of a monkey as a mascot.

"Ne, ne! Where are you guys going to go now?" Rika asked eagerly, curious to know where her idols would travel to next, making Luffy grin as he turned around to face her.

"Isn't it obvious, the Grand Line!"

Poor Coby had only taken a sip from his orange juice, only to spit the liquid from both his nostrils and his mouth, splattering the counter. No planning ability and daydreaming was one thing, but this was insane! "With just the three of you!? There's no way you can go there, that place is the hell of all four seas!"

"Is the Grand Line that terrible of a place?" Rika asked worriedly, terrified that her heroes would face horrible threats in their travels.

"It's even worse than you think!" Coby said, clearing a spot on the counter and began to sketch something on a scrap of paper. Rika watched him draw a rough map of the earth, two lines crisscrossing and dividing the ocean into four smaller bodies of water. "As you all know, we all live in one ocean that has been separated into four seas. Separating the east and the west seas is an enormous continent called the red line, splitting them in two. While in between the north and south seas is an unpredictable current known as the Grand Line. Supposedly, there is a town somewhere in the center of the Red Lin, right where the Grand Line cuts right through it at an angle. Captain Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, is said to have sailed the entire Grand Line, making his way into the Red Line and traveled into the ocean to where no one has ever documented and obtained the World's greatest treasure, the One Piece. Before he died, his final words were that he had hidden his great wealth and treasure deep within the Grand Line, no doubt at the place where Red Line and Grand Line meet. Since that day, pirates have traveled the Grand Line in hopes of finding the One Piece. Today, it's nothing more than a war zone filled with pirates, all ruthlessly killing one another in their searching. People have taken to calling it the Pirate's Graveyard," Coby finished, a grim frown on his face as he stared down at the makeshift diagram, the circle marking where that supposed town was said to be, trembling slightly as he thought of his two friends trying to navigate that territory when neither one showed the average ability to find their way. Luffy would get them so terribly lost they'd probably end up halfway across the world in a day or two, how could they survive the Grand Line as they were?

"I've heard from patrons before," Ririka said, also looking forlorn at the mere mention of that place, "That anyone who enters the Grand Line never comes out alive."

"Not true," Takara said, stunning several as she set aside an empty glass, propping her chin on her entwine hands, serious as always. Luffy laughed, trying ease the thick layer of distress and serious, although there was a determined light in his own eyes.

"W-What?" Coby stuttered. "H-How do you know that?!"

"Muu, if that were true…"

"…Then Takara wouldn't be here at all!" Luffy said brightly, pointing at his best friend. Everyone shot them confused looks, wondering what the two were going on about this time.

"What are you talking about?" Zoro grunted, not enjoying the fact he was out of the loop with his fellow crewmates.

"Easy, Takara was born and raised in the Grand Line," Luffy said simply, as if that were an easy feat to announce. The room grew quite as Coby choked and Zoro's eyes widened, both staring at the expressionless girl in stunned surprise.

"WHAT!?"

Takara cleaned out her ear again with her pinky, silently mourning her slowly ending hearing. "Muu, just what Luffy said. I was born on a small island within and lived in the Grand Line with my siblings for about six years before Niisama sent me with a…friend of his to Luffy's island." She shrugged slightly, frowning as she thought about something. "Honestly, the last time I was there was three years ago, Niisama has the tendency to just pop up and kidnap me for more training."

Ignoring the shocked face, Luffy added his two beri. "Besides, even if the Grand Line is as bad as you say, we'll still have to go there, cause that's where the One Piece is." Together, he and Takara glanced at Zoro, trying to see if he was in or not. Zoro merely leaned back into his chair, a smug grin on his face.

"I guess I'm just going to have to live with it," he said, accepting his fate, making Luffy grin largely again.

"Not you too Zoro!?" Coby cried, breaking free from his stupor. They might be very strong and Takara may have a better edge, having been born and trained in the Grand Line, (he silently wondered if that was the reason the girl was so nonplused, crazy things probably couldn't compare to what she had seen there) but that did not dismiss the fact it would still be extremely dangerous for them all. "You can't go!"

"What do you care? It's not like you're coming with us," the green haired man remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"No…But I'll still worry about you, Luffy, and Takara. Even though we've only known each other for a few days, I still consider the two of them my friends, right Luffy, Takara?" he asked, slightly timid.

"Muu," Takara said, nodding with a soft light in her eyes.

"Of course we're friends. We're gonna part ways, but we'll always be friends, the straw hat boy said cheerfully with his wide grin. Coby was silent for a few seconds before he too smiled at the both of them.

"T-Thank you, Luffy-san, Takara-san. When I was just a little kid, I didn't have any friends, much less anyone willing to fight for my sake, so I never tried to fight for anything myself." Coby looked so small, recalling all the time he had spent with the trio before him, Luffy's laughter, Takara's calm demeanor, and Zoro's rough manner. Yet the thing they all shared, something they had passed onto him…their determination and hope.

"But you three have taught me a lesson that I should have learned so long ago; how to stand up for what I believe in and to live my life the way I want to. So, I will make my childhood dream a reality, I will join the Marines!" he shouted with determination. Luffy and Rika grinned upon hearing his resolve as Takara placed _Kyōfū_ against her lips. They were all proud over Coby's growth, Luffy recalling how he and Takara had met the then cowardly and useless boy under such circumstance, but now…Coby had truly grown up, becoming the shadow of his former self, a brave boy brimming with confidence who would soon become a fine Marines. Before either he or Takara could reply, Zoro cut them off, appearing indifferent despite the moving speech.

"That's great and all…but shouldn't you be more worried about your current situation?" Noticing the confused looks he was getting, Zoro sighed before elaborating. "Even if you were just a forced cabin boy, you still spent two years aboard Alvida's pirate ship. The Marine's informants are top notch. Once they hear about you being one of Captain Alvida's crew, they'll never let you join."

"I…I never thought of that," Coby stuttered, having forgotten his hellish experience upon the ship, Zoro's word causing him to fall into a minor spot of grief. Even once he was free from that woman, she was still ruining his life…Fist clenched tightly, Coby desperately wished he had been more careful in the past, despairing over his situation once more.

Breaking the tension and hovering despair surrounding the room, a Marine opened the door to Ririka's restaurant, several others following the de-facto leader now that Morgan was arrested. "Pardon me," he said politely, noticing the surprised faces from most of the group, (most as Takara was indifferent as always).

"Is it true that you are pirates?" he asked, looking solemn and slightly upset, his eyes hooded by his Marine cap.

"Yup," Luffy said cheerfully, gesturing at the swordsman and the purplette. "Zoro just joined up with me 'n Takara, so we're officially a pirate crew now!"

"We greatly appreciate that you have saved our base and this town from the tyrant Morgan; however, now that we know you three are pirates, we as Marines cannot sit idly by and let you do as you please," he said, his hand on the brim of his hat. He lifted his head, revealing his eyes, slightly upset but forced to follow the code of the Marines. "Therefore, you and your crew are to leave this town immediately. Out of respect for what you have done for all of us, we will not report you to HQ."

Immediately, the people gathered outside the window began to shout and mutter angrily, claiming that the Marines were being unfair to the group that had freed them from the terror that Morgan had inflicted on them. Still, it made sense to Coby all the same; as Marines they were not allowed to let pirates wander freely even after all these three had done. He was just glad that Luffy and his crew could leave while they had the chance. To his credit, the straw hat boy merely lifted a large sack of food and other supplies over his shoulder, grinning cheerfully.

"Well, guess we should go!" He said, turning to face his crew. "Come on Kara, Zoro." He quickly bowed to Ririka, as did the purple haired girl, both expressing their gratitude for the food.

"Wait, you can't leave now," Rika begged, grabbing onto Takara's skirt, pleading upwards at the girl. She didn't want her heroes to leave so soon. Luffy grinned down at the brunette while Takara blinked slowly, a hint of embarrassment making itself known in the soft blush on her face. With a slight sigh, she bent down, kneeling to look into the child's eyes. She opened _Kyōfū, _revealing a creamy white background decorated with swirling clouds, positioning it above her mouth before she lowered it. After closing it, Takara held the tessen out to the younger girl. The brunette looked stunned, sending an awed gaze to the longer pigtailed girl, who nodded gently. Hesitantly, Rika took the tiny _tessen_ from Takara, gazing at the cream colored instrument.

"Muu," Takara said, standing up, satchel loaded with supplies over her shoulder to follow her captain. "Perhaps by the time I return you'll have learned how to correctly use it."

Rika beamed after the girl, tightly holding the closed _Kyōfū_ to her chest as Takara followed after her captain while Zoro slouched beside the other boy, their eyes shadowed by bangs, a straw hat, or a miracle for Zoro, who lacked the aforementioned items like the others. They passed by Coby without a word, the pink haired boy staring at the ground, frozen in place. The new commander of the Marines looked at Coby for a moment before turning to the pirates making their exit.

"Excuse me, but isn't he a member of your crew?"

Immediately, Luffy, Zoro, and Takara halted just outside the door, the younger pair sharing a glance, before they turned to stare back at the now trembling Coby. The straw hat boy gazed at him seriously for a few moments before grinning widely before answering.

"Well, I know what he's done up until now," he said, dropping his bag to walk back inside. Coby spun around to gape openly at Luffy.

_LUFFY-SAN! YOU WOULDN'T! _He thought horrified, seeing Takara step up to join her captain.

"Muu, we met him recently."

"Yeah, there was this reaaally fat pirate lady, I think her name was Ahiruda or something…"

"Muu," Takara immediately agreed, Coby tensing up with fear even more, terrified that the two would talk. He was slightly surprised that they didn't recall Alvida's name, but…they were dense so it didn't surprise him.

_If they find out I was on Alvida's ship, I'll never join the Navy!_

"She carried around this huge mace and let me tell you, she was the nastiest woman I ever met!"

"Ugliest too."

"Yeah, almost forgot about that," Luffy said cheerfully, walking over to Coby, teasingly poking his head, ignorant of the building twitch of the pink haired boy. Takara followed dutifully, letting Luffy do what he needed to do. "Anyways, for two years this little guy here was her-"

Before anyone could comprehend what was going on, Coby shot out and smashed a fist onto both Luffy and Takara, stunning many as he silenced Luffy and stopped Takara from opening her mouth. Zoro however, merely smiled, new respect building for his captain and the helmswoman. Coby stared at them both angrily before he realized what he had done, the red mark developing on the pigtailed girl's face vivid against pale skin, and slowly lowered his fist only to be knocked in the head by Luffy, Takara's _tessen_ striking his head as well. He sprawled out on the ground in front of them, stunned as he raised his head. Instead of meeting glares, he only saw Luffy give a conspiring grin while Takara's teasing smile was hidden behind _Arashi_. Zoro stepped forward, grabbing hold of Luffy's shoulder as the boy readied another bunch, snatching the girl's hand before she could lash out.

"Alright you two, you've proved your point," the swordsman remarked dryly, amusement leaking into his voice. "Let the kid alone."

Silently, Luffy and Takara backed down as the new Marine captain stepped forward to stop the pair from continuing, pointing at them as he began to shout.

"That's enough! It's very clear that you guys aren't crewmates so leave him alone! You and your crew are to leave this town at once!" Luffy turned around, giving a grin to Zoro while Takara gave a noncommittal "Muu", the pair leaving Coby on the floor as they followed the taller man. Luffy and Takara shot the boy one last look, a blend of apology, embarrassment, and farewell in Luffy's playful smirk while Takara's hooded eyes spoke volumes. Coby realized it all too late what they had done by egging him on.

_They did it on purpose…Luffy and Takara did that just to help me out…They made me so mad so that I hit them both, to show we weren't allies._ Tears began to fall from Coby's eyes as he recalled those smiles. _Even in the very end, I wound up relying on them both again! Even now, Luffy and Takara are saving my skin and helping me reach my dreams! Nothing has changed at all! _

At this point, Luffy and his new crew were halfway down the steps leading them back to the docks and their din-I mean boat. The Marines and the other citizens of Shells Town watched them go with sad eyes.

_Am I an idiot?! _Coby shouted mentally before he rose up from the ground to look at the Marine commander.

"Sir, please let me join the Marines," he begged, his face set in a determined frown as he bowed in the correct fashion. "I'll cook, I'll clean, I'll do anything as long as I can become a Marine!" Neither his face nor voice faltered for a moment; he would not give up, he would become a Marine for Luffy and Takara! The commander stared at him for several moments, silent admiration in his eyes as he saw the courage the pink haired boy had. The newly appointed second-in-commander, a man with a dirty blond goatee, stepped forward and whispered into his ear.

"Sir, I'm not sure if we should trust this boy. There have been cases of marines being pirate spies, those guys could have left him behind for this purpose. We'll need to conduct a background check…"

Coby straightened to his full height no matter how short) and gave a glare full of determination. "No matter what you say, I'm a man who _will _become a Marine!" he shouted at them, several of the Marines looking back at him with stunned looks. The only one who didn't have a look of astonishment was the new Captain, who gazed at him carefully, looking for any wavering. Never again, Coby vowed silently as he stood strong, would someone try and stop him from reaching his dreams to becoming a real Marine, on who would save the people and bring justice to the wrong-doers of society. The Captain walked slowly over to Coby before he began to speak.

"Countless numbers of our comrades have been killed by pirates. Don't take being a Marine so lightly.'

Coby stiffened, his face falling into surprise and bewilderment. "Then…"

"Permission to join granted!"

Coby beamed before his expression turned serious as he spun around, saluting his new head officer. "Sir yes sir!" At long last…he was a Marine!

~~風~~

At the pier, the cinnamon eyed, tangerine haired girl set her small bag inside her small ship before removing the parchment. She glared at the words, hating Buggy even more as she crumpled up the worthless piece of paper before grinning with confidence.

Meanwhile merely a few boats away, Luffy, Zoro, and Takara were casually walking towards their temporary ship, all prepare to set sail towards their next adventure that awaited them. The captain led the way, followed closely by his crew of two, all holding some supplies for their journey, although Takara silently nursed the slight bruise on her face. Coby could pack quite the wallop apparently.

"That was some pretty lame acting back there. I wouldn't be surprised if they see right through it," Zoro told the pair with a teasing grin, elbowing the boy as he ruffled Takara's pigtails.

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed while the purple haired girl muttered under her breath, fixing her ruined hairstyle carefully, her balance thrown off as she fell behind them. "Coby'll handle the rest on his own now. I have faith in him. What about you Kar-Oh, she's gone," Luffy noted simply, spotting the empty air besides him where the girl had been mere moments ago.

"N-NANI?! Where'd she go?" Zoro questioned in amazement. He hadn't even noticed her quick escape, her bells hadn't made a single sound. What the hell was she, some kind of ninja?

"She must have gone to the bathroom," Luffy decided with a nod, continuing to move forward. "Takara does that sometimes." After a moment of gazing around himself in a confused manner, Zoro nevertheless followed after his captain towards their vessel, wondering how often the helmswoman ducked out. Soon, they had reached the edge of the pier, just shy of their boat.

"Well, it's a fitting way to leave this town," Zoro decided with a nod, deciding to adopt the classical thoughts of a pirate. "Unable to return with the Marines after us, the townspeople against us. Very pirate like.'

"Shishishi, that's for sure, huh Kara?" Luffy laughed, turning up to the top of the mast at the figure standing there. Zoro glanced up, his jaw dropping to see Takara perched with her legs dangling off the side of the mast like one would sit on a wall, nodding to answer Luffy's question. She gave him a look that clearly said 'You look like an idiot' as she whipped out _Sora_ to fan herself. Her outfit had changed, Zoro suddenly realized. She now had a charcoal colored skirt that fell hallway to her knees with purple tights stretching down her legs, the black flats from before still there. A plum V-neck sweater was atop of short-sleeved white shirt, an ebony ribbon tied in a bow around her throat.

"Did ya change Takara?" Luffy asked simply, not at all surprised by the change in attire as he set down the bag of supplies next to a small crate filled with goodies.

"Muu," she said simply with a nod, an indifferent look on her face before she leaped down to join the others, landing softly. Soon, they were all preparing for their voyage, Luffy laughing all the while Takara was silently working alongside Zoro. They were disturbed however by a sudden shout from behind, causing them all to turn.

"Luffy-san! Takara-san!" It shouldn't have surprised the trio to see Coby standing there, accompanied by Rika and her mother, the little girl merrily waving her white _tessen_ in the air like a flag. Yet, they couldn't help but stare at them in surprise, Luffy's eyes wide and even Takara lifted an eyebrow. The pink haired boy leaped up, right hand in the traditional Marine salute to Luffy and Takara. "Thank you so much! You're done so much for me. More than anyone else ever has."

After a moment, Luffy's grin stretched from ear to ear while Takara let out a cheerful "Muu", lips hidden by _Sora_. Never before had someone thanked them for something like that. It felt…good.

"I've never heard of a Marine thanking a pirate before. This one's for the history book," Zoro joked casually, making Luffy laugh a bit. Takara, however, padded over to Coby, giving him a one over. Then, something surprising occurred.

Takara bent down with a soft smile and pecked Coby's forehead with a chaste kiss.

The results greatly varied. Luffy just grinned like an idiot while Rika and her mother giggled slightly. Zoro…didn't know what he was supposed to feel, but he was sure he didn't like the fact she the purplette had kissed the kid like that, even if it was completely innocent. Coby's face flushed greatly, staring into plum eyes with confusion and embarrassment.

"Muu, you're a baby-faced Marine, but next time, I expect you to be at least to my eye level," she said crisply, standing up and showed that he barely reached her waist. "Also…good luck," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head with a look of indifference, although the slight blush revealed her encouragement. She quickly pirouetted on her foot and marched back to the boat, ignorant of the goofy grin that spread on the boy's face as he clenched a hand close to his heart.

Zoro was silently contemplating murder while Luffy chuckled, leading them onboard as Takara fondly waving at Rika, who squealed her goodbyes as well. The sail was lowered and Takara had returned to her spot while Zoro reclined against the side of the ship. Luffy waved his arms enthusiastically.

"Let's meet again sometime son, okay Coby!"

"Luffy, Takara…thank you both…" the pink haired boy whispered, tears prickling his eyes, making him quickly swipe them away before he began to wave farewell.

"Bye Luffy. Bye Takara. Bye Zoro!" Rika cheered, waving _Kyōfū_ with Ririka just behind her. The trio of pirates turned back to face them. However, when they glanced back again, not even Takara could stop her mouth from opening, Luffy's jaw comically landing on the ground between his feet.

"ALL HANDS SAAAALLLLLLUUUUAAAATTTTEEEEE!"

It looked as though the entire troop of Marines were standing on the pier, just behind Coby (who was just as stunned as the others), Rika, and Ririka. (Once more, Zoro was questioning how the _hell_ it was possible for these guys to just show up without any warnings or even a footprint. Where they ninjas or something?). Every single Marine stood tall and strong, proudly saluting the pirates, their sworn enemies, expressing their gratitude and thanks for what they had done. After a few moments to recover from their shock, Luffy grinned again while Takara waved from her position on the mast.

"BYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!" Luffy cheered one last time as they sailed away, disappearing into the setting sun. Coby smiled once more when he heard his new Commander speak, a grin on his face, showing that he knew the truth behind them.

"Those are a pair of good friends you've got there." Coby felt like crying once more, but he blinked them back to smile proudly with a nod.

"Yes sir."

"Men," the Commander said, turning back to the rest of the Marines. "Seeing that our current salute to the pirates is in violation of Marine law, we will all go without food for three days. Do I make myself clear?"

"SIR YES SIR!"

Coby still saluted the ship that looked like a small dot on the horizon, thinking to himself as he watched his first friends leaving. Yet, Luffy was right. Even if they were separated, they would still remain friends and companions, those memories time could not take away from him.

_I'm sure…I'm sure we'll meet again sometime, somewhere, Luffy-san, Takara-sa…chan. Even if were divided as pirates and Marines…let's meet again someday!_

~~風~~

In the deepening sunset, where the sky turned into a palette of orange, yellow, and purple, the small boat continued on its way. Luffy's grin had widen so much Zoro questioned how his cheeks didn't hurt, although being a rubber man could have had something to do with that. Takara hung upside down by her knees from her place on the mast, quite the comical sight to behold.

"At last," Luffy said from his position at the brow of the boat. "Our pirate crew is finally setting sail."

"I've got a feeling that some interesting adventures are waiting for us," the swordsman said, leaning against the curve of the boat. He was excited now, already thinking about this new journey before him, wondering what he and his crewmates were going to do. Luffy laughed.

"I'll be King of the Pirates, I know it!" he declared, hands waving in the air as Takara released her grip from the pole, landing with catlike grace before standing and popping her back slightly.

"Muu Luffy, it will take time, but I'm sure you can handle it," the purplette told him, returning to her possessions and resting _Fuu_ on her lap, beginning to polish the weapon.

"You seem pretty obsessed with this King of the Pirates business," Zoro remarked, staring at his captain with a slightly concerned face. It wasn't a goal for the faint of heart, that much he knew. "Is there some sorta reason for it?"

"None really…except…" Luffy trailed off.

"Except…what?"

"Except, I promised someone I would gather the greatest crew, find the greatest treasure, and become the King of the Pirates…and this straw hat knows the whole story," the boy said, laying a fond hand on top of said accessory as the wind rippled around the vessel, thinking back to a redheaded man who had been his inspiration to take to the seas.

"Oh, Takara knows the story too," he added as an afterthought, glancing back to helmswoman to see if she was upset at being forgotten. Judging by her indifferent look, she was cool with it, although sometimes even Luffy questioned it, but her movements were relaxed.

Zoro blinked at the two of them as Takara returned to her cleaning before he smiled, turning his gaze onto the darkening sky above them closing his eyes a bit for some shut eye. Maybe having this guy as his captain wouldn't be so bad. His words…reminded him of the blue haired girl, a promise so important that one would stake their entire life on it.

"I see."

A thought suddenly struck Zoro, making him lift his head to turn towards the girl again, who was now shifting through the contents of her bag.

"By the way…how'd you know that kid? The one with the scientists?" Zoro questioned the purplette, whose hands ceased their movements, taken aback by the question. She shot him a deadpan look, to which he shrugged. "You obviously knew whoever that person is very well."

"…Muu, of course we were close," Takara finally relented, leaning back, a strange shell in her hands as she looked out onto the ocean, memories swirling inside her mind.

"_Kufufufu! Imouto-chan is so silly! Aniki can handle it!" a blue haired boy said with a forced grin, one of his deep blue eyes bandaged as he patted a teary eyed purple haired girl's head gently. But he couldn't hide the pain and anger in his gaze as he glared out the barred doors at passing adults that coldly disregarded them as he pulled the child close, another pair of small figures sitting near them. "Aniki will protect you, Kara-chan, I promise."_

"After all…siblings are always close to one another," she muttered softly, too soft to be overheard, closing her eyes as she laid an arm over them, trying to drown out the world as she sunk into the echoes of her past. Seeing her reluctance to talk, not having heard those chilling words, Zoro became silent, not sure if talking would make the tension worse. Sensing the awkwardness, Luffy turned around to face his crew, specifically Zoro as he grinned cheerfully in an effort to bring up their lowered spirits.

"Come on then guys, let's go, let's all set out! We're heading to the Grand Line! We're heading to Takara's home!"

The merry mood renewed now, Takara's eyes gleaming with a certain light while Zoro grinned, the girl stood up with _Fuu_ in her grasp, lashing at the air to propel the crew of three, Luffy, Zoro, and herself, forwards into the unknown, opening the next chapter of their grand adventure.

~~風~~

Zoro: Geez, you don't even know how to navigate right?!

Luffy: Do you know how?

Zoro: No!

Takara: Muu, you really are hopeless, _baka tenshi_.

Zoro: Don't say that to me, _kaze shōjo_!

Luffy: Ahh! Hey, stop rocking the boat! My hat'll fall off!

Zoro: Is your straw hat that important?

Luffy: Yeah! It's my treasure!

Takara: He loves it more than meat.

Luffy: Yeah, I have to return it to him after I'm King of the Pirates!

Zoro: Who's 'him'?

Takara: Muu, sit still and we'll tell you!

Luffy: In the next chapter of One Piece: True Treasure! "Childhood Memories: Enter Red-Haired Shanks!" I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!

~~風~~

…Gomen*collapses onto the ground with a dark cloud overhead* I'm a day late in updating this story…So ashamed of myself…

In all fairness, I did spend an entire day stuck in the car for the family vacation to Pittsburg. We hit traffic. TWICE. And I couldn't connect to Crunchyroll to rewatch the episode for some time and I spent what time I had finishing up this story before proof-reading. Again, so sorry for the wait.

Anyways, I promise that I will update this story on a weekly basis! That's my oath! Also, special shout out to all those out there who've read, reviewed, and favorite-d this Fanfiction! It just inspires me more as a writer to keep working!

Again, thanks and keep reading! See you next Monday, or earlier if I can manage it!

~~風~~

_Santoryuu_-Known as the three sword style, it is just that, a swordsman using three blades in battle. One is held in each hand while the third is grasped between their teeth.

_Baka tenshi_- Meaning "idiot swordsman", it is Takara's nickname for Zoro. Due to her normal expression, devoid of any feeling, it can be hard to tell when she means it in either a playful or dismissing way, although it's usually used in the former, but she can become irritated with Zoro enough to mean it in a condescending way.

_Kaze shōjo_- Roughly translating to "wind girl", Zoro tends to call Takara this, sometimes as a form of innocent teasing or full-blown attack, as she can be wild like the wind or have her head stuck in the clouds.

_Kūchūsakuretsu_- a rather basic attack that Takara uses with the _shukusen Arashi _and _Tenpesto_. Named Wind Burst, this offensive attack is created by striking the two _tessen_ together. The small pocket of air that existed between them is hurled forward, knocking down opponents. It's a close-range attack, however, as the greater the distance, the less force it will have, making Takara take a chance and get closer to the enemy, opening herself up for attacks.

_Niisama_- Takara's mentor. The identity of this person has yet to be revealed, even to Luffy doesn't know, no matter how many times he's asked Takara. She has been a pupil of his for several years now and has a healthy level of fear of him although she still cares about him and respects him. While her teacher didn't use _tessen_, he did teach her a good deal of combat and various other attacks, allowing her to adapt her attacks to suit her style. How they met is unknown, Luffy has admitted that he met Takara after she came under his tutelage and that once every couple of months she would disappear in the middle of the night and come back in a few weeks with minor wounds, her master picking her up for training. He is brutal in his training, hence Takara's fear of him, but he's efficient and he is concerned about his pupil's well-being. He has met Takara's siblings as well, but never served as an instructor to them and they all hold a level of terror against him. He'll be introduced soon enough, as he's already a main character in the One Piece plot.

_Kyōfū_-A _tessen_ relatively smaller than most of the others in Takara's arsenal. Meaning 'gale', (強風), it's more of a delicate decoration than a weapon, crafted of soft wood and rice paper, the inside covered in swirling wind patterns. Its tiny size allows it to slip anywhere, but it barely does more than a paper cut. Not much more to say about it, other than the fact it's one of Takara's personal creations. She made this particular _tessen_ for the market. Hey, she and Luffy have only just started out so Takara decided to do a little arts 'n crafts for some pocket beri. Still, with Rika owning it now, it's going to see more of a use than a wall decoration, acting out the movements of Takara as she and her friends play heroes in the months to come, perhaps to help in preparing food.


	4. Childhood Memories: Enter Shanks

**One Piece: True Treasure**

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. OC, follows anime. OCx?

Oh. My. God/Kami/Jashin. Four reviews in only one chapter?! Best yet! Thanks to 1loveLuffy, YuyaKnightwriter97, serenity-neko-chan, and Guest for commenting! I'm glad that you think Takara is so original, 1loveLuffy, and that my style's alright, but I doubt the story is that good. ..My poor house (sulks in corner like Shigure Sohma)…Anyways, I'm glad you find my OC quirky and realistic, Guest, and I'm going to hint at various pairings throughout the story before I decide on anything (more about this too come!). Thank you for catching the error, I fixed it right up, if you spot anymore, please let me know. Unfortunately, Takara's amount of _tessen_ is quite extensive (I can understand your confusion) and it will grow a little larger, but this is important as, due to where she was raised and the violence in her life, she knows better than to trust only a few weapons, keeping a large arsenal at all times. I will always be specific to which ones she uses and include additional information at the bottom of each chapter, so hopefully that helps keep everything together! As for you Yuya…wait and see~

Oh, and BIG shout out to NibelungVelocity for allowing me to borrow from her own _One Piece _Fanfiction, _Hanley_. Bigger thanks for inspiring and making me laugh with your story. To know which section part of my sort is inspired off of, please check out _Hanley_, I'll post a link at the bottom.

Sorry about the day of lateness…Stuck in yet another car ride…Didn't get home till late and had to unpack…But I'm back home now so, (judging by my current track record) expect the next chapter a week from this Wensday!

There will be crossovers with other animes later on. And remember, One Piece belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda and any future anime references belong to the companies that created them. No profit is being made off of this Fanfiction, please support the official releases.

~~風~~

Chapter 4: Childhood Memories: Enter Red-Haired Shanks!

_The only real treasure is in your head. Memories are better than diamonds and nobody can steal them from you…Rodman Philbrick, __The Last Book in the Universe__._

~~風~~

_Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece._

_Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea._

"_You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"_

_And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age._

~~風~~

(The first opening song **We Are **plays.)

~~風~~

Somewhere within the calm waters of the East Blue, a small boat bearing a black flag of a skull and crossbones sailed. The Jolly Roger had a red nose, that of a clown's, embossed on it, marking it as one of the ships under the terrifying Pirate, Buggy the Clown. Three men, all dressed in a weird fashion, sat inside the modest sized vessel, counting a large pile of treasure with greedy delight. They were the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros, minor pirates that belonged to the Buggy Pirates Crew.

"What a haul today!"

"Now Buggy-sama won't be mad at us with all of this!"

"Huh, what's that?" one of them, the largest man of the group in a black vest, glanced off to the side, spotting something on the ocean. The other two followed the gaze of the first man to see what had caught his attention. It was a second boat, much smaller and more weather-beaten than their own vessel, merely bobbing in the water. The one wearing a black hat with the emblem of Buggy the Clown on it tilted his hat before deciding what should be done.

"We should check it out." Perhaps there was treasure aboard that would only add to their tribute to Buggy-sama.

They quickly changed their course, the pirate ship sailing closer to the other vessel, actually a rowboat with a sail attached, before the oddly dressed trio peeked inside. Devious smiles spread across their faces at what they saw. The girl with orange hair, still clad in the clothes from Shells Town, laid limply over the side of her boat, one hand trailing in the water, seemingly unconscious. To the pirates, they guessed she had passed out from the combination of heat and lack of water.

"Hey wake up, little girl," the hatted pirate said roughly, poking at the girl's arm a couple of times to get the message across. After a few moments, she stirred before lifting her head, blinking her cinnamon brown eyes up at the trio of pirates. A soft smile graced her face before she began to speak in a dazed voice, seemingly weak and gentle.

"Oh! Am I dreaming? Running into someone on this wide open sea…Please, I don't know who you are, but please, I desperately need water. I haven't had anything to drink for two days, all I need is a cup of water. I can give you as much jewelry and gold as you want," she added, waving a dismissive hand towards a very fancy looking chest decorated with a red stone sitting at the opposite end of her rowboat. Due to its grandeur, it was obviously filled to the brim with treasure, just what the pirates had been hoping for. The three of them smirked viciously, pleased with their new found luck. Not only where they going to get a chest full of treasure, a pretty girl was thrown in for good measure. Things couldn't get any better.

That much would prove true for those foolish pirates; things were about to get worse. Much, much worse.

"Don't worry, we'll held you. But first, we want to see the treasure, then you can have as much water as you can stomach," the pirate in the hat, obviously the leader amongst the ragtag trio, said.

Quickly, the three pirates clambered onboard the rowboat, hurrying towards the chest to inspect its contents, completely ignoring the orangette for now. They bent over the highly decorated chest, the one in the hat beginning to fiddle with the lock, finding it's abnormally pesky to pick. He cast that from his mind, most people did keep their valuables locked up tight. Finally, the padlock made a click, prompting the man to throw it to the side and they were about to fling the top open when it suddenly shot open, propelled up a panda head, a long pink tongue attached to it in a comical fashion, sprung from the chest similar to a jack-in-the-box, stunning the men and causing them to fall back to the bottom of the rowboat in shock. They couldn't help but stare at the trick chest in stunned confusion when a mischievous giggled reached their ears. The three of them quickly spun around to see the orangette sitting calmly and relaxed on _their ship_, already a far distance away and only sailing further off.

"You can keep my entire boat, if you'd like," she said cheerfully, the large chest of treasure that had previously belonged to the pirates now closed at her feet.

"OUR BOAT!"

"YOU THEIF!"

"YOU TRICKED US, YOU BITCH!"

The Funan Bros couldn't believe how quickly their luck had flown south as they screamed curses at the pretty thief who had stolen both their ship and their treasure. A shiver of fear passed through them slightly. Unless they could either retrieve their treasure or find more, their captain was going to be beyond angry and most likely kill them in the most painful, sinful way possible. No one dared to come between Captain Buggy and his treasure. The smug girl turned her head to the right a bit, shading her eyes as she studied the sky.

"Judging by those low clouds moving in from the south, I expect that there will be strong winds and squalls pretty soon!" Barely a minute after she had said that, a large cloud formed above them almost instantly, lighting sparking dangerously as the girl continued her weather report. "With all the wind and expected turbulence, all small boats take caution not to capsize!"

Upon finishing her words, the clouds drew even closer towards the three panicked pirates, all stunned as to how fast the weather had changed and how true the girl's words had been. Rain lashed down from the sky as the wind swept the ship about, the choppy waves not helping matters in the slightest. The three pirates attempted to regain their balance, the rowboat wobbling and shaking violently until they all fell overboard as the ship was flipped over. The entire event barely lasted three seconds, making the girl grin in triumph as her plan was executed without a hitch.

"Bingo!" she cheered, doing a thumbs up in victory before turning her attention towards the treasure, a gleam in her eyes. "See ya! I'll just take your treasure now!"

"GET BACK HERE YOU BITCH!"

"WE'LL GET YOU FOR THIS 'blurrggg'!"

Needless to say, the Funan Bros learned a very valuable lesson that day: don't trust pretty girls in the middle of the ocean, especially ones that seem too welcoming to be true. It was one of many they would learn that day.

~~風~~

Meanwhile, Luffy, Zoro, and Takara had been sailing aimlessly across the unending ocean for two days now and had yet to find an island to replenish the food supplies that had disappeared quickly on the first day due to their large appetites. Luffy had, additionally, accidentally eaten half of the rations during his sleep, including the pineapple Takara had been saving, causing the girl to ram a foot into her captain's skull, knowing it wouldn't harm him. Luckily their water held out; while they could all go for quite some time without food, it only took three days to die from dehydration. Still, the entire crew had their stomachs rumbling painfully as they all tried to alleviate the hunger by distracting themselves. Zoro rested against the spot that had become his designated napping spot near the bow, his three swords resting in the circle of his legs as he watched his crewmates with bored eyes. Takara dangled upside down from her position on the mast with _Fuu_ propped up alongside it, pigtails swaying in the breeze, plum eyes blank while Luffy hung over one of the boat's side, fingers trailing the water as he watched the waves bob.

"So hungry…" the straw hat boy moaned lowly, grunting as his stomach grumbled and gurgled. Takara said nothing, but bobbed her head in agreement, bells jingling even more, still peeved about the loss of her favorite fruit. Zoro let out a sigh, closing his eyes as his mouth twisted into a frown.

"This is just great. We're in the middle of nowhere, not even a scrap of food left on this ship, and, to ice the cake-"

"CAKE?! WHERE?!" Luffy cried excitedly before he groaned again, limply hanging over the edge as hunger overtook him.

"It's a metaphorical cake," Takara responded with a blank face, hopping down due to the blood rushing the opposite way, strapping the massive _tessen_ to her back as she did so.

"Does it taste good?"

Zoro took another calming breath before finishing. "We have no idea where the hell we are." For the millionth time today, he questioned what had possessed him to join this clueless kid and emotionless girl. Okay, there hadn't been much of a choice and there was definitely going to be a lot of adventure heading their way, along with the solemn promise of achieving his dream. Still, being saddled to these two who had no navigational skill whatsoever was annoying.

"Any clue as to when we'll reach land?"

"Don't know, we are just using the wind, the waves and Takara's fans after all…" Luffy said and was about to continue before he was interrupted.

"Isn't it kind of weird that someone whose tryin' to be King of the Pirates doesn't have any navigational skills?!"

"Hey, we don't use the traditional methods," Luffy said casually. "It's not that weird that we prefer to drift around."

"Niisama travels alone on the Grand Line all the time," Takara agreed. "And he _never_ uses a compass…" she muttered, her bangs over her eyes as she recalled the harrowing days of her youth where they got lost as quickly as the wind changed. Zoro shot her a slightly shocked glare before his attention was grabbed.

"But aren't you a bounty hunter who wandered the high seas?" the straw hat boy questioned his swordsmen, slightly confused. Zoro hadn't offered to set a course for them.

"Muu, surely you have some way of finding your destination," Takara agreed.

Zoro shifted uncomfortably as he turned his face towards the sky. "I have no memory of ever even calling myself a bounty hunter. I set out onto the sea in search of a certain man…but then I couldn't even get back to my village. I had no choice, so I just went after pirate outlaws to earn a living." After a few moments, Luffy and Takara nodded in understanding.

"Ah, so you're just lost," Luffy said simply, returning his attention to the water while Takara stretched, silently questioning how he expected to become the World's Greatest Swordsman if he couldn't find his way. Although, it did remind her of someone…

"DON'T PUT IT LIKE THAT!" Zoro snarled, his face turning demonic as he glared at the two of them before he frowned. "Hey, you said you used different methods to navigate. What are they?"

"Oh, Takara's got a cool thing to help us out," Luffy said, nodding to the girl. "Maybe we can use it now to help us."

With a "Muu" of agreement, the pigtailed girl began to shift through her bag before removing a spiral shell from the canvas. Zoro blinked at it in confusion. It was a pure white conch with orange marks, small holes drilled into it with a protrusion sticking up. At the flatter end of it, another shell, this one a lemon yellow and seemed almost dial like. The swordsman questioned how a piece of shell was supposed to help them find their way, but his question died down as Takara lifted it to her mouth and began to blow into it, her fingers dancing along the small holes.

An beautiful, haunting melody sprung forth almost instantly breaking the quite air and even the wind stopped as Takara blew into the instrument, her song spiraling up into the sky. Luffy grinned slightly, eyes closed as he listened closely to the song while Takara swayed slightly, spinning the dial shell as she played. To Zoro, it ended all too soon, the wind suddenly picking back up as the purplette lowered the instrument from her mouth. She pressed the part that opened up to the inside of the conch to her ear, listening with closed eyes.

After a minute, she lowered it and opened her eyes. "Muu, there's an island that way," she said, pointing straight ahead with a deadpan look, "Several miles out. Given our current speed, we should reach their by tomorrow morning or maybe this evening if we push ourselves."

Zoro's jaw dropped while Luffy cheered, Takara putting the instrument back into her bag. Deciding to clear it up with his swordsman, Luffy decided to explain to the best of his abilities. "See, Takara's ocarina doesn't just make pretty music, it can help us travel! She just needs to ask the wind for directions."

The swordsman tried to process this for a few moments. Sure he had heard that conch shells let you hear the ocean, but someone who could listen to the wind? Was this girl human after all? Suddenly, a fit of anger struck him, causing him to slam his foot into the bottom of the boat.

"IF YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT, WHY DIDN'T YOU USE IT YESTERDAY!?"

Takara never got the chance to answer Zoro's peeved question as the sudden rocking of the boat made Luffy jerk forward, pitching his precious straw hat into the air, the wind carrying it upwards. Immediately, onyx and plum orbs zoomed in on the accessory, Zoro's eyes following their gaze with a confused look. Luffy had a panicked look on his face as he cried out, "Shanks!", the boy recalling the words of a certain man he had once met, the very man who had introduced him to Takara and had started their journey together.

"_This straw hat is very important to me, it's been with me through many a fight. It's so precious that I can't even give it to you, Luffy."_

The three of them ran forward to the front of the ship as the straw hat floated over the top of the mast. With anxious eyes, Luffy and Takara watched it fly towards the edge of the boat when Zoro managed to jerk forward and grasp the rim of it, catching it before it could hit the water. He turned around, finding Takara to be greatly relieved while Luffy cheered happily, taking the hat from Zoro to hold it close to his chest, eyeing it carefully.

"Yay! Zoro, you saved it! You saved my hat!" With that being said, Luffy tackled the older man into a hug, professing his eternal greatness while Takara joined in the embrace, nodding her gratitude. Zoro's eyes bulged to an almost comical degree as the purplette snuggled in, her rather modest (but still big, he added mentally) chest pressed against him. He quickly ripped away from the hug with a blush while Luffy only continued to thank him. After calming down, he couldn't help but overhear more of Luffy's ranting.

"No one but Takara has ever tried to get my hat back before! You're the greatest!"

Mentally, Zoro couldn't help but question why his new captain and crewmate had jumped him so exuberantly over a simple straw hat, much less call him the greatest of anything. Still, it was nice to hear the plain gratitude and relief in Luffy's voice and see Takara nod in agreement, so the green haired man did nothing to stop them, finding it nice to hear such words of praise.

"Thank you again Zoro, really. This hat means the world to mean," the boy explained, carefully setting the object back where it belonged while Takara "Muu"-ed in agreement once more.

"You're welcome, Captain," the swordsman said with a smile back at them. Luffy grinned back and they all settled back in their spots from before, (although Takara merely sat on the mast rather than hung), lapsing into silence before Zoro decided he needed to get some fact straight. It was plain to see that the hat was very important to Luffy, reminding the older male of his three swords, (one in particular), that he prized beyond wealth. There had to be a story behind it.

"Hey Luffy?"

"Nani?" the boy questioned, turning his playful onyx orbs to Zoro and tilted his head in a curious manner.

"You said that you promised someone you'd become King of the Pirates, right? Does that hat have anything to do with that promise?"

Luffy chuckled, pulling the hat over his eyes with a wide smile. "Yeah, it has everything to do with it!" he said, recalling that day ten years ago as Takara leaned her head back, positioning _Arashi_ over her lips as she fell into the echoes of their shared past as well.

~~風~~

_Ten years ago…The breeze was gentle and the skies were dotted with white clouds as the wind swept over the peaceful town of Fuusha Village, a town on the small island of Dawn Island, a part of the Goa Kingdom and located near the Red Line in East Blue, a calm ocean where nothing ever seemed to occur. The windmills turned in the calm air as cows munched on grass in the pastures_

_In Party's Bar, a slightly rowdy, but still polite group of pirates were having a celebration of epic proportions. While the reasons for such a bash were unclear to everyone, even the pirates, they still laughed and chatted merrily, eating delicious food and gulping down sake until their stomachs bulged. Every one of them were doing so, save for three figures at the bar chatting to one another._

_The eldest of the group looked to be in his mid to late twenties, tall and strong, dressed in casual clothes fit for traveling across the ocean. His most distinct and striking features were his bright red hair and the trio of scars running across his unharmed left eye. He was grinning happily, his chin decorated with a short scruffy beard, the unforgettable straw hat sitting on his head._

_To his right sat none other than the seven year old versions of both Luffy and Takara. Luffy was looking at the older man in awe, his face slightly chubby with remaining baby fat and free of the scar that he would later have, wearing a pair of blue shorts and a white shirt with the words "Anchor" written in blue with the aforementioned item outlined in red. Takara's distinct hair wasn't as long as it would be in the future and her iconic bells had yet to make an appearance, but it still fell halfway down her back in a pair of braided pigtails that had been done for her. She wore an amethyst shirt and white skirt hemmed in purple, a tessen sitting on her lap as her purple eyes watched the redhead with interest, despite the bored look on her face._

"_You have to take me on your next voyage, Shanks," Luffy begged pleadingly as he watched his idol chuckle slightly. "You already took Takara with you once!" He said, pointing at the purplette who nodded with blank eyes. "I wanna be a pirate too!"_

"_Aw, leave Kara out of this," Shanks laughed, rubbing Luffy's short black hair. "Her master saddled her onto us and told me to take her somewhere safe. It was far from her first voyage. And as if you could ever be a Pirate, Luffy."_

"_Why not?" Luffy whined piteously._

_Sitting at a small table nearby, Shanks' first mate, Benn Beckman, smoked a cigarette, tuning into the conversation. His long, pitch black hair was pulled in a ponytail and he smirked at the young boy's endless demand. At the next table over was the ship's sniper Yasopp, a skinny man with shoulder length blonde hair, who watched Luffy and Takara fondly, greatly reminded of someone who was just their age too. Across from him sat Lucky Roo, the roundest member of the Red Hair Pirates crew, gluttonously devouring a leg of meat with a grin, his goggled covered eyes watching the scene with interest._

"_Luffy, you can't even swim, kiddo. You'll never make it out there as a pirate," Yasopp chided gently, not trying to hurt the boy's feelings. "Even Takara's not ready to set sail on her own."_

"_But I'm a great fighter! My punches are like pistols! And I can just stay on the ship," he said, punching the air with his fist exuberantly. The girl beside Luffy "Muu"-ed softly, watching Luffy with her lips twitching slightly._

"_Are they now?" Shanks asked in a bored tone, not even watching as he ate his meal, completely ignoring the small boy who was rightfully upset._

"_WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"_

"_Haha, it means you're too much of a kid, kiddo," Lucky Roo said with a laugh, his boisterous noise stirring up even more from those listening in._

"_Serious Luffy, you and Takara are as old as my own boy," Yasopp chuckled._

"_I am NOT a kid!" the boy snarled angrily while Takara glanced up in slight surprise, her head rising from her arms against the bar. "I am a grownup!"_

"_Now, now. No need to be so upset," Shanks said chuckling in amusement as he set two glasses of juice next to the kids. "Have some juice and calm down." It was apple for Luffy and pineapple for Takara, their favorites, and promptly, Luffy's kitten like anger melted away as he grabbed the glass._

"_Wow, thanks Shanks!" he said, gulping down the juice while Takara sipped hers as well, the boy humming happily as he set the empty glass down. Suddenly, the entire crew exploded into laughter, surprising Luffy while the purple eyed girl said nothing, still drinking._

"_I've never met a pirate who drinks juice," the redhead hollered, slapping the bar with a hand, making the crew holler even louder now._

"_Hey, you tricked me!" Luffy cried amongst the laughter. "Stop laughing! That was a cheap shot!" The barmaid and owner of Party's Bar, Makino, couldn't help but smile fondly with twinkling brown eyes at the two children under her wing as the girl leaned forward, trying to comfort her friend. She wore a yellow kerchief over her dark green hair that fell down just to her shoulders and was dressed in an orange blouse with black sleeves and a long light blue skirt._

"_Muu," Takara said, amusement in her eyes. "Shanks pulled the same thing on me too, Luffy."_

_Laughter subsiding now, Shanks turned serious, looking at Luffy carefully. "Look Luffy, we do call you 'anchor' for a reason, you'd probably drown in a kiddy pool and you would have if Kara hadn't been there the other day," Shanks laughed as Luffy blushed slightly, grumbling under his breath. It wasn't a lie, sadly. Luffy had indeed nearly drowned in the small pool and might not have been there today if Takara hadn't grabbed onto the back of his shirt and dragged him back up._

"_Now Shanks, it wouldn't hurt if he came on a single voyage," one of the younger members of the crew said, making Luffy perk up happily. Several others voiced in their agreements as Lucky Roo nodded. _

"_It wouldn't hurt," the big man added. "Takara could come along too for a bit again." Said girl perked up like a rabbit, making several pirates picture her with a pair of white ears like said rodent, swiveled up cutely._

"_Hmm…" Shanks muttered, adopting a thinking pose as he leaned in his chair. "Okay then. Luffy and Takara can go if two of you stay behind, one for each," the redhead decided, leaning back in his chair, looking expectantly at his crew, who were silent._

"…_Well, nice knowing you, Luffy, Takara!" Lucky Roo shouted, returning to the partying along with the others, making the poor grumble at the unfairness of life, Takara slumping down next to him. Deciding to cheer the boy up, Makino stepped forward, smiling at her young charges._

"_Luffy, Takara? Would you two like something to eat?"_

"_Yeah!" the boy cheered, perking right up, already dismissing his anger at Shanks. "I'll pay you back with my treasure!" he cheered to the older girl while Takara nodded earnestly, both their stomachs rumbling. They were never ones to pass up a meal offered by Makino, who never had the heart to tell them that Luffy's grandfather took care of the children's expenses, letting them believe that the would pay her back with their treasure once they made it big._

"_What treasure, Luffy? You're lying," Shanks teased, poking the boy's face while Takara sighed slightly, watching her friend explode once more. Honestly…her Niisama wasn't like Shanks, why couldn't he be her mentor, she wondered idly as two plates were set before her and Luffy. The boy was very lucky to have someone like Shanks in his life, she decided, rather than her gruff, stern master._

"_NO I'M NOT!"_

Although I could do without all the teasing, _the pigtailed girl admitted._

"_You seem to be having fun captain," Makino giggled as she ruffled the two children's hair affectionately, Takara's eyes closing in pleasure._

"_Of course," the older man laughed, also rubbing the boy's hair in a playful way. "Teasing Luffy's my joy!"_

"_Told you!" Luffy snarled at Benn, who sighed with a shake of the head. The first mate had been continuously telling the boy that Shanks didn't tease him to be mean, but to rather make him think seriously._

Although right now, _Benn couldn't help but think as he muffled a chuckle over Shanks' antics around the kids, _Luffy just might be right.

"_Luffy, you know Shanks just wants what's best for everyone," the black haired man said, leaning towards Luffy, who turned to glance at him. "He has the responsibility of the whole crew on his shoulder and being a pirate isn't all fun and games. There's a lot more to it than treasure and adventure, you know, and the Captain knows all about the dangers you'll face out on the sea; death can come at you in a thousand ways, right Takara?" Benn asked the purplette, who nodded her acquittal as she ate her plate of sliced pineapples._

_Luffy huffed angrily, turning away and chewing on his meat, unable to believe that his best friend was siding with Benn! The first-mate sighed and puffed on his cigarette again, seeing the hardheaded stubbornness of the boy._

"_Nee, Shanks?" Luffy suddenly asked in a serious voice, making the red haired captain turn to look at him. "How much longer are you gonna stay?"_

_He blinked in surprise as Takara nodded, something akin to anxiousness crossing the girl's face. No doubt Benn's words had struck a chord in the kids' hearts. Shanks drowned a bite of food with a swig of alcohol before answering. "Well, we've been using this island as a base for about a year now. We'll come back before we head further north," he promised._

"_A few more times, huh?" Luffy muttered, shoulder slumping a bit before he sat straight up, his eyes flashing with determination. "I'll learn to swim by then!" He turned to Takara, grabbing one of her hands to catch her attention, his eyes shining like polished stones. "You'll help me right?"_

"_Muu!" Takara agreed, nodding with a slightly dazed look when Luffy grabbed her shoulders, tugging the girl into a hug._

"_Great! I'll be a pro by the time you leave then!"_

"_Good luck," Shanks encouraged, grinning down at the two kids that he never got tired of seeing again. Honestly, he could see why his friend insisted on not allowing Takara to join his crew, she had a much better future with Luffy coming, he could tell. Although it could just be his overprotective side, it was if his friend was the girl's father rather than an instructor, he thought with a laugh before he returned to his food._

_The merry atmosphere was shattered when the swinging doors were kicked open, one of them snapping off its hinges and crashing onto the floor, silencing everyone. They all turned to watch a tall man followed up a large troop of mean, grungy looking men stepped into the bar. Immediately, Luffy and Takara recognized the man in the lead as the leader of a group of mountain bandits, having seen his wanted poster numerous times. It was Higuma, a dark skinned man with a black goatee to match his hair, an "X" shaped scar above his right eye. Underneath his long purple coat, he wore a white shirt and black trousers, a golden necklace peeking out from behind his collar. Everyone sat completely still, tense as they prepared for trouble._

_Well…Almost everyone, as Shanks simply continued to eat his meal._

"_Excuse us," Higuma said in an uncaring tone that meant he wasn't sorry at all as he passed by Shanks' crew, stepping on the pieces of the ruined door as he did so. He noticed the pirates around him, smirking with disdain as he glared around._

"_So these are the pirates I've heard so much about," he chuckled, the light not entering his cold, uncaring eyes. "They look rather sad to me." He shoved his way next to Shanks, almost upsetting the man's balance, and slammed a hand on the counter. Makino quickly walked over to him, not wanting anymore trouble to come in her bar._

"_Welcome," she said tensely. "What can I get for you, gentlemen?" Despite her polite tone, it was obvious that she did not want any unnecessary violence in her bar. Luffy watched worriedly while Takara's grip on her tessen tightened. If she were in her home waters, the man would probably have his throat slit by now._

"_We're Mountain Bandits, but we didn't come here to tear the place apart. We just want some sake. Ten barrels should do it," Higuma expressed as his men, all clad in grey clothes with bandanas wrapped round their heads, chuckled evilly. Shanks' crew didn't shake in the slightest over the thinly veiled threat._

"_I'm sorry, but I just ran out of sake," Makino said, trying to keep the mood pleasant, despite the shaking in her hands._

"_That's funny, looks like those pirates are drinking? What is it, fruit juice?" he questioned with a vicious sneer, making Luffy and Takara's eyes narrow, sliding their now empty glasses away._

"_No, that just happens to be the last of what I had stocked up. I'll have some more next week though," Makino said, bowing in apology, but it didn't have much effect, judging by the darkening expression on Higuma's face. Shanks, sensing the tension, held up a bottle of sake that he had been about to open._

"_My apologies. Looks like me and my crew drank this whole place dry. Sorry, but you can have this, if you'd like. It hasn't been opened yet," he said with a smile._

_While some would have just accepted the bottle as an apology and been on their way, Higuma was only pissed off at what the man had said, leading him to shattered the bottle with a single punch, spraying sake all over Shanks. Makino and Luffy gasped in surprised over the sudden attack and even Takara wasn't emotionless as her eyes widened and mouth opened. Despite the years lived in such a harsh environment, she had spent about a year in Fuusha Village and the rowdiest things that happened were when the local drunk stumbled around or when Luffy's grandfather came to town (something even a person from the Grand Line couldn't get used to). Still, she could only assume Shanks' reaction would have a huge impact, he had been the one to travel the Grand Line to bring her to the village. Shanks' crew, who Luffy and Takara had thought would have burst into action upon seeing the act…simply sat there, unfazed at what they had seen._

"_Who do you think I am?!" Higuma spat angrily. "One bottle is not enough even for a bedtime drink. I'm a wanted man with eight million Beris on my head and I've killed 56 people, all of them fools just like you. Don't insult me."_

_Shanks sat there, utterly silent as his face was hidden by his straw hat, dripping alcohol down from the material. He almost looked ready to explode, but he simply lifted his head to look down at the floor, slightly upset._

"_What a waste, now the floor's all wet," the redhead muttered as he picked up some shards of glass, stunning Luffy and Takara, the boy's eyes widening while the girl's pigtails comically became frizzled, idiots curls on both of them. "Sorry about this Makino. Do you have a rag?" he inquired, beginning to gather up the other shards._

"_Oh, don't worry about it," Makino stuttered, holding a cloth as she began to run around to the front of the bar. "I'll take care of it," she promised. Before she could get close to Shanks however, Higuma unsheathed his sword, slashing at the bar. Takara quickly tackled Luffy to the side as their plates were upset, spilling food onto the floor as a large slash mark developed where the two had only been resting on moments ago. Bottles and empty cups were shattered, sending shards and fragments of glass and ceramics everywhere, forcing Shanks onto his butt back on the floor and leaning on the bar frame, sitting amongst the filth and broken glasses._

"_Since you like to clean so much, here's some more work for you," the black haired man spat with a smug look, turning his attention back to Makino, who trembled slightly under his gaze. "Geez, a place with no sake is hardly worth our time. Let's go boys, see ya later pansies." _

_With that being said, the other mountain bandits broke out into rancorous laughter, so different from the merry shouts that were unleashed not even five minutes ago, before they followed after their leader, leaving the bar. Everything inside was silent as a tomb as Luffy, regaining his bearings, ground his teeth together in anger. How dare that man just ridicule Shanks like that? But that wasn't the only reason the boy was upset; not a single member of the crew nor Shanks himself had tried to stop Higuma, not even a good punch to the face. Takara was thinking similar thoughts, eyes narrowed into mere glints of amethyst. Niisama would have had that man's gut decorating the bar in a matter of seconds._

"_Captain, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?!" Makino questioned with worry, bending down over Shanks and wiping away the sake still running down his face. The man simply turned his face up with a smile._

"_Oh, it's no problem, Makino. I'm perfectly fine," Shanks replied, bursting out into wholehearted laughter, as though having food and alcohol being spilled on him was nothing more than a personal joke. As if it were a signal, the entire crew joined in the amusement, several raising their tankards up into the air, stunning Luffy and Takara, the purplette developing another idiot curl. At her home, such slander would have been unacceptable!_

"_He got you really good, boss," Yasopp sniggered, a hand running through his hair while Lucky Roo hooted and hollered next to him, hands on his wide stomach that his green and white shirt couldn't cover._

"_Talk about lame!" he chortled, egging the rest of the gang into making jokes at their captain's expense. The pitch and level of noise was so loud that even villagers at the edge of town could hear it, wondering what was so amusing. Unable to take it any longer, Luffy clambered back onto a stool and slammed his fists into the wood, demanding attention._

"_WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?! WHAT'S SO FUNNY? WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT THEM?! NO MATTER HOW MANY OF THEM THERE ARE, OR HOW STRONG THEY SEEM, YOU SHOULD FIGHT, NOT JUST LAUGH IT OFF. YOU AREN'T MEN OR PIRATES!" he screamed in utter anger and frustration, making the entire room dissolve into silence as Takara climbed up onto a chair next to him as well. While she didn't say anything, it was obvious from her glare and the aura of disappointment and rage that she had the same thoughts as Luffy. Everyone was stunned by their blatant wrath, but Shanks, blinking at them, understood at once._

_Luffy wasn't mad at him for not standing up at himself, but at Higuma for looking down on the Red Hair Pirates, deeming them weak without a cursory glance. He knew all too well what it was like to be ridiculed and thought of as weak, as did the girl next to him. In addition, Takara, who had been born in such a dangerous place and had a rocky, if not traumatic childhood, always believed that a fight was easier done with one's fists instead of words, something her master had encouraged. It was her only way of protection, for her mind, her body, and her heart._

"_Ah, Luffy, Takara," Shanks sighed softly, looking at them with soft eyes. "I know how you both feel, but the guy only spilled some booze on me. He's not wasting any time on." Looking into his eyes, Luffy and Takara knew, deep down, that the older man was right, but their childish thoughts wouldn't allow them to admit defeat._

"_You're supposed to be a pirate!" Luffy shouted, completely disregarding Shanks' statement as he furiously pounded his fists onto the bar. Takara blinked slowly, a little miffed as well._

"_Muu, Niisama would have killed that man for less," she expressed. "You could have at least broke his legs."_

"_Yeah!" Luffy agreed, nodding furiously._

"_Muu, or his kneecaps."_

"_Definitely could have broken them!"_

"_Muu, spilled his guts on the floors."_

"_Yeah!"_

"_Muu, go for the groin."_

"_Yea-huh?" Luffy questioned, turning to face the blank faced girl beside him in shock and confusion, as did several other pirates, a bit more uneasy. Takara was on a roll however._

"_Muu! You should have cut his balls off, make him a lesser man than he already is!"_

_At this, Luffy looked at his best friend with horrified eyes as she crossed her arms, a steely glint in mauve orbs. The other pirates gulped slightly and shifted about in their seats, some subtly shielding their manhood, knowing that the girl wasn't just talking big. Benn coughed, gaining the girl's attention._

"_Takara, there's something you don't understand that you should know. No man should ever do violence to another man's…manhood," he said, looking slightly embarrassed to have to inform a young girl this sort of thing. Every other man agreed solemnly, nodding their heads, their laughter silenced at the thought of the hypothetical violence to another man's groin, as well as their own. Takara, meanwhile, wasn't moved, given her noncommittal noise._

_Shanks cleared his throat before continuing, "Anyways, a little bit of sake isn't enough to kill a man over."_

"_Muu, whoever said anything about killing?" the purplette muttered under her breath, looking put out as she glared out the window. "Just wanted to get a kick in his nether region…"_

"_Better you just shoot him where he stands," Yasopp commented as Lucky Roo nodded next to him._

_Slowly recovering from his horror, Luffy turned his head away while the other pirates began to convince Takara to put the tessen down and not hunt Higuma down, but his anger at Shanks' supposed cowardice was returning, as well as his hunger. He blinked when he spotted a small treasure chest, sitting harmlessly next to him, the top open to reveal a fruit._

_It was round, like a melon, but that was where all the similarities ended. It was colored violet, reminding the boy of a light shade of Takara's hair. Swirl marks decorated the entire fruit, giving it a unique texture, its stem sprouting up before forming a curly 'T' shape, one end curling in on itself. It looked cool, so it was probably tasty._

_Without a second thought, Luffy picked it up._

_Meanwhile, Shanks was steadying his precious hat, giving Minako a thankful look, glancing over to see Takara, thankfully, tucking away her tessen as Yasopp patted her shoulder. It was good to see the girl being a little less violent, he couldn't help but think as he turned over to Luffy upon hearing a crunching sound. The young boy was eagerly eating something, despite the look of distaste as though whatever it was so rancid it was only his anger that made him continue, no doubt trying to calm himself down and to distract him from the disturbing aura that leaked out of Takara, hinting that her bloodlust still remained._

"_Eating out of frustration Luffy?" he asked, glad to see the boy was feeling a little better, but not by much, given his mutter of "Shut up!" Shanks only smiled before he sat up straighter, seeing a flash of purple that was not Takara's distinct hair that made him pale, a look of horror spreading across his face._

"_Wait, what're you eating?!" he shouted, causing Luffy to swallow the mouthful of the mysterious fruit, the boy looking at Shanks in confusion. The redhead looked livid with not anger, but utter fear. "That box! Did you eat what was in that box?"_

_Takara turned her head, spotting the remnants of the fruit Luffy had bitten into, her purple eyes widening in shock. Luffy gave a stuttered answer of, "Y-Yeah," before he was roughly grabbed by Shanks. The straw hat man lifted Luffy by the boy's ankles and began to shake him up and down, trying to make him vomit. Takara stood by Shanks', repeatedly ramming her foot into Luffy's gut to gain the same reaction. All the while, Shanks was screaming at the boy, silently pleading to not have ruined another person's life, recalling a man with who he sailed the Grand Line with, who now damned his name since he had accidentally swallowed the forbidden fruit._

"_Spit it out! Right now! Every last bite!"_

"_Muu! Luffy!"_

"_W-What are you doing, Shanks? Takara?" the boy shouted, a little dizzy from the shaking and feeling the girl's blows. Strangely, they didn't seem to be as strong as they had been in the past. The crew was horrified, all worried that something tragic was about to happen while Makino's hands were at her mouth. Was the fruit poisonous?_

_All previous thoughts flew out the window as Luffy's leg stretched, causing the boy to ram him head into the ground, a rubbery 'throwng' could be heard as his face met the wooden floor. Numerous spit takes could be heard as pirates spat out their sake, sometimes into one another's faces. Everyone was still, all with varying faces of stunned horror, all eyes on the fact that Shanks still held onto Luffy's ankles while the boy's legs had stretched out like they were made of taffy. No noise was made as his body slowly returned to its previous state, revealing Luffy's utterly confused face, a red mark on it from where he had been slammed into the ground. Even with his world flipped upside down, Luffy could see Takara's face drawn into horror and worry, her tiny hands curled into fists at her side._

_After a few moments of silence, Luffy decided to ask the question that was on just about everyone's minds. "What…was that?"_

_Shanks jerked Luffy into the air, so that their faces were mere inches apart, allowing him to glare into Luffy's scared eyes. "THAT WAS THE GUMO-GUMO FRUIT! IT'S A DEVIL FRUIT FROM THE GRAND LINE! IT CAUSES YOUR BODY TO TURN TO RUBBER! BUT IT MAKES YOU LOSE THE ABILITY TO SWIM FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"_

_Makino's eyes were horrified; mere minutes ago Luffy was boasting of how he would be able to swim alongside Takara in a few weeks. What would that do to his dream of becoming a pirate? She was also confused as to what a Devil Fruit was, having never heard of the term before. Takara watched her friend with sad eyes, nodding with a "Muu" of mourning when Luffy sent a begging glance at her. She had seen firsthand the damage the Akuma no Mi had wreaked on the lives of people, both innocent (and not so sometimes) and its users, a familiar face coming to mind._

_His fate confirmed by his best friend, Luffy let his jaw drop, where it fell all the way to the floor. Shanks released his hold as they prepared to start another shouting match._

"_NO WAY!"_

"_YOU DUMBASS!"_

"_Muuuu…" Takara moaned miserably, now glaring at Shanks. "You're the dumbass if you thought it was a good idea to leave a Devil Fruit, in an unlocked chest, on a table in the open with no one watching it."_

_Only silence and a lone cricket could be heard for several moments before Yasopp coughed, all the pirates in the room embarrassed that a seven-year-old had to have pointed something so obvious out to them._

"_It…Yeah…That's a good point…"_

_Takara sighed, her head bowing down at the stupidity of it all as a hand rubbed her forehead, a migraine settling in. "Muu, I fear for your son, Yasopp. All of you, don't bother breeding."_

"_Hey now!"_

"_Muu, you'd being doing the world a favor."_

"_W-What the hell, Kara?"_

"_You're joking!"_

_The crew shouted, horrified at what she was suggesting. One deadpanned look from Takara said everything, however, making the crew pale as she lifted an opened Tenpesuto up into the air, an aura of killer intent leaking from her body before she leaped forward. While Shanks' most trusted crewmates, intent on protecting their fellow crewmembers, jumped forward, dragging the pigtailed girl into a ball of dust amidst 'manly' screams, Luffy could only sink lower into a depression of losing the chance to ever swim before he sat up with a grin, the thought of the century upon him._

"_Even if I can't swim," he said, causing the dust cloud to comically evaporate, showing Takara's foot painfully digging into Lucky Roo's chest, a fist yanking on Benn's ponytail, and Yasopp deflecting a tessen aimed at his lower regions with the butt of his gun with a shaking hand. They all focused their attention onto Luffy, waiting to hear what he had to say, all three men silently begging that whatever Luffy said would stop the girl with sharp objects. "I'll become a pirate who never falls overboard!" he cheered, laughing hysterically._

_Most sweat dropped at the idea, but Takara "Muu"ed before going over to Luffy's side, causing Benn to fall down and Lucky Roo to groan in relief. "Muu, then I better stay by your side to make sure you don't fall in," she promised seriously, making Luffy grin and yanked the girl into a hug. Meanwhile, the trio of relieved pirates was nursing their "battle scars" and wounded egos of having their asses handed to them by someone not even ten._

_Sometimes Shanks thought his friend had taught the girl too well before he sighed._

~~風~~

_It had been a few weeks since the infamous Devil Fruit and near castration incidents, as Shanks and his crew called it. Luffy had taken it all in stride, simply grinning cheerfully as he practiced stretching his body, already dreaming up attacks he could use once he became a real pirate. Takara was his constant companion, almost fixed to his side after the incident at the beach when Luffy fell into the surf. Why he had been there was beyond everyone, but Takara had managed to fish him out when his body locked, a panic building into his heart before he was yanked out of the water. Still, Luffy's condition only helped to strengthen their ties even more._

_As it was, the people of the village were concerned, but were relieved to see that Luffy's personality hadn't changed one bit. He was still the same bund of uncontrollable energy, the only difference being he was now a rubber ball of trouble, approaching life with his usual cheerfulness. There were no hard feelings; after all, it was an accident, although some members of the Red Hair Pirates shivered whenever they recalled the beating the purple haired girl initiated following the incident. In the month since Luffy gained a rubber body, Shanks and his crew had only returned once and a feeling of boredom and peace blanketed Fuusha Village._

_If only everyone knew it was about to be shattered._

~~風~~

_The inside of Party's bar was in complete and utter ruins. Tables lay on their sides with smashed chairs littering the ground, shards of broken bottles lay like a carpet of glass underfoot, smears of food and puddles of sake splattered against the floor underneath the shards. There were some slash marks, carved into solid wood, a small tessen wedged in a beam, stuck no matter how much one tugged at it. Makino wasn't in her ruined restaurant, but was instead running furiously up the road, her red sneakers smacking against the dirt road, orange skirt billowing out behind her._

_Bursting through the door into a certain house, Makino managed to find the person she had been desperately looking for, the mayor of Fuusha Village, who looked at her in concerned confusion, a cup of tea in hand. Taking in her flustered appearance and heaving chest, he quickly assumed something was amiss, setting the cup away. "Makino, what's the matter?"_

"_Please!" She begged, grabbing onto the mayor's hand, turning wide and terrified eyes up at him. "Luffy and Takara are in trouble with the bandits!"_

~~風~~

_The current incident had been caused less than half an hour ago, back when Party's Bar was still pristine and clean. Makino was carefully wiping down the counter of the bar with a smile, her two favorite customers perched on their special chairs in their customary spots. Luffy swirled his straw in his glass of juice, watching the ice swirl and clink, Takara's hands cupping her own cup gently, staring at the yellow liquid contents like they held the answer of life._

_Seeing the children's slightly mournful looks, Makino decided to talk, figuring out in one go why they were both so silent. "Shanks and the other have been gone for a while now," she remarked, smiling at them both. "Are you both lonely, Luffy, Takara?"_

"_No!" Luffy shouted, turning his head away while Takara "Muu"ed, ducking her head. Makino gave a wan smile; the lie was so obvious it was practically tangible. Luffy was a terrible liar and Takara was always so direct that she hardly ever bothered. "I'm still mad at Shanks for letting that guy badmouth him," Luffy spat, the purplette next to him nodding her acquittal. _

"_Really now?" Makino laughed, seeing their miserableness of being left alone by Luffy's idol. "I thought it was rather brave of him to laugh it off after getting picked on. Fighting back may take courage, but more is used when one completely disregards the enemy." This made Takara perk up, interest plain in her gaze. This was news to her, perhaps this was another moral lesson the barmaid told her whenever she had the chance._

"_You don't understand Makino!" Luffy shouted, waving his arms in the air, reminding Takara that a war was won by fists and weapons rather than words. The boy was about to launch into a rant before he was rudely interrupted._

_The newly repaired swinging doors opened, making the trio at the counter turn around curious. Luffy and Takara's eyes went wide at the sight of the mountain bandits entered, Higuma leading the way with that cocky smirk of his._

"_Well, looks like those pirates aren't here today. Certainly makes the place smell better," he remarked with a twisted chuckle, throwing himself into an empty seat. He sent Makino a dark look as he snapped, "We're customers, bring us some sake!"_

_Makino flinched slightly but shouldered her courage, taking her serving tray up from under the bar before filling it with tankards of sake. She moved with smooth, even steps, as though they were her normal customers of merchants, fishermen, or even Shanks' lively crew, rather than ruthless cutthroats._

"_Luffy, Takara, please stay in your seats," she whispered as she went to serve her 'customers'. The boy's eyes narrowed and the purple eyed girl's grip on her glass tightened, both of them glaring at Higuma._

_For a while, the men seemed to behave as Makino handed out the tankards, although the catcalls from some of the men towards the attractive barmaid were disturbing, making her ears redden, if only slightly. The children's glares deepened at that, the men ignoring them as they chugged their alcohol down, Higuma laughing with the rest of them. Makino sighed in relief after finishing her rounds. So far, so good and they'd leav-_

"_You see the looks on those pirates' faces?" Higuma laughed at that moment, making Makino flinch as the children tensed up. His men began to echo his thoughts, taunting the pirates as Luffy and Takara stewed in rising anger._

"_Yeah, he got covered in booze but didn't say anything!"_

"_Talk about pathetic!"_

_Higuma peals of laughter were the loudest of them all, throwing his head back. "Pirates are just a bunch of wimpy cowards. They're nothing but big talk."_

_At that moment, Makino knew there was no stopping Luffy as his body shook at the insult to not only Shanks and his crew, but also his dream._

"_OI! YOU BASTARD!"_

No, Luffy! _Makino thought desperately, turning her gaze towards the onyx eyed boy who stood up on his stool before hopping down, Takara following him like a sheep. The mountain bandits faced the two children as well, the pair ignoring the thugs to focus their hated glares at Higuma, who sneered down at the brats in contempt._

"_What did you say, brat?"_

_Makino stepped forward, trying her best to mediate the situation. "I-I'm sorry, they're just children. They don't understand-"_

"_Damn straight I do!" Luffy said, stepping forward with a determined glare, Takara's blank face betraying nothing, her eyes more than enough to convey her anger._

No, no, no, please, be quite! _Makino begged._

_Higuma laughed at Luffy. "Go back to your mamas kiddies."_

_Takara's head jerked slightly at the remark, a slight growl in her throat now as Luffy's eyes narrowed even more. He knew that Takara didn't have a mother anymore, just like him, and that it hurt to be reminded, yet another reason to hate the stupid bear. "You take back what you said!" he shouted at the big man. "You apologize to Shanks right now!"_

"_Luffy, remember what Shanks said-"_

"_I don't care. I'll kick your asses, all of them right now!" the boy screamed, holding his fists aloft. Takara took up a position, on hand itching towards her concealed tessen._

_Upon hearing the threat, Higuma and his men burst into renewed laughter, sounding hysterical at what they considered an empty threat. Makino relaxed herself and made to nudge the two kids away when Luffy shouted out something that put the entire bar into silence._

"_You're just some stinky, no good bandit! You're lucky Shanks didn't even think you were worth the trouble to beat up, you stupid, ugly bear!"_

"_Muu, you're cannon fodder where I come from!" Takara echoed._

_Makino stared in horror as the bandit leader stood up to slowly stalk towards the unflinching pair, looming over them with a dark shadow. The barmaid whimpered, her hands clutching tightly at her apron now._

"_Care to repeat that, brats," he hissed dangerously._

_Luffy stuck his tongue out while Takara pulled her eyelid down, both of them making faces. "You won't fight me 'cause you're too scared! Kara told me only a coward hits a man when he's down! Who's afraid of a bunch of stupid mountain _monkeys_ anyways?" he taunted while the purplette nodded._

_With a growl, Higuma snatched both of them up by the fronts of their shirts. "I think it's about time someone taught you two some manners."_

"_Go to he-" Luffy was backhanded across the face by the enraged bandit with so much force that his neck stretched to the side a few feet before snapping back into place. Several of Higuma's crew gasped in surprise while the man's eyes narrowed._

"_W-What was that?"_

_Higuma smirked nastily as he flung the blank faced Takara aside, making Makino screech, his attention focused on Luffy. "Looks like this'll be pretty fun."_

"_Please," Makino begged, rushing forward and trying to yank the black haired boy from the man's hold, not wanting to see either Luffy or Takara harmed by these men, knowing it could only end terribly. "They're only children-"_

_Luffy's eyes narrowed at the smack that filled the air, the kindhearted barmaid falling onto the ground with a red mark on her face as Higuma leered down at her, the bandana loose and falling to the ground. Takara focused her enrage eyes on him, her body shivering as she stood up, reminded of a girl with warm amber eyes and a ponytail being shoved aside by an even more despicable person, the image forcing her to her feet._

"_Step aside, woman," he spat at Makino. "We'll deal with you soon enough."_

"_Muu, don't touch her," Takara snarled lowly, her eyes hidden by her bangs as she stepped forward, trying to shield the older woman with her body._

"_Or what, little _girl_?" Higuma asked in a mocking way. Takara said nothing as she lifted her head up to meet his scorning glare, her amethyst orbs devoid of emotion, although the jaunty air around her reveal her slight amusement. She showed no fear and she knew it, a fact that the bandits also were aware of, just like the boy. _

_She jerked forward, slashing violently with her tessen at Higuma, whose coat took the brunt of her attack, shredding a bit. With a growl, he caught the little girl's hand jerking her to a stop as he ripped the weapon away from her, chucking it aside. He lashed out, nailing a kick into Takara's abdomen, making her gasp._

_With a glare at the prone body, Higuma carried Luffy out of the restaurant, the other bandits following suit. Quickly, Makino staggered to her feet to reach Takara's side. The girl lifted her head, what looked like a slight grimace on her lips while the barmaid swept loose purple hair aside._

"_Don't worry, I'll go get the Mayor. Please, wait here," Makino begged pleadingly, unaware of the crossed fingers behind the girl's back as she nodded. Quickly, she ran out the back way, determined to go get help from the mayor. Takara's purple gaze landed on her lodged tessen before they slid to an empty bottle, unscathed by the scuffle from before._

_Outside, Luffy was thrown against the wall of the bar before he landed roughly on the ground, surrounded by the bandits who began to take turns stomping on his body._

"_We were all just drinking and having a good time. What's the idea boy?"_

"_Damnit! Apologize! You hurt Makino and Takara and said bad things about Shanks! Take it all back!" the boy snarled. _

"_Did I say something to offend you?"_

"_You did! You offend a friend you offend me! Now apologize!"_

_Luckily for the boy, his rubber body prevented him from serious harm, simply absorbing or bouncing the attacks back with a slight recoil. Still, it was only a matter of time before the bandits grew bored with mere kicks and punches and they would turn towards their cutlasses and swords. Higuma bayed like a donkey, amused by the situation when, in a blur of purple and dark navy, a loud shattering filled the air and the man staggered slightly. Shards of glass littered the ground and the man snarled at the pain that followed, Higuma and the other bandits turning around to see the cause of the blow._

_Luffy's eyes widened as he openly gaped as tiny Takara stood there, her eyes blank and face a calm façade, the neck of a broken bottle in her grasp. Seeing the confused look from the boy, she shrugged, as if it were that simple to relay her actions. "Muu, I couldn't get my tessen from the wall. Better move, Luffy."_

"_You…little…BITCH!" Higuma snapped turning his head around to glare at the girl, giving Luffy the opportunity to fight back. Taking a certain pigtailed girl's advice to heart, he took a deep breath and clenched his fist, preparing himself for doing the worst thing a man could ever do._

"_GUMO GUMO PISTOL!" He shouted, swinging his tightened fist upwards, using the propulsion from his new rubbery body to send his fist directly into Higuma's crotch. The man crumpled like paper, groaning as he clutched his balls in pain and agony. All the men surrounding him wince in sympathy-hell, even Takara shifted her weight slightly, one leg brushing against the other, reconsidering Shanks words now that she had seen the pain. Luffy could only laugh as he darted over to Takara, grabbing her hand and beginning to lead her away from the bandits._

"_That was awesome!" he snickered as they raced down the alleys towards the center of town, hoping to find cover from the bandits or to even slip away into the pastures just outside of town. While they were both itching for a bigger fight, they knew it was the best option to perform a tactical retreat, as their enemy were taller, bigger, and probably more skilled than the two of them put together._

_Unfortunately, while they had made it to their destination, their progress had been hindered. Takara gave a snarl of pain and clawed furiously behind her, a foul smelling bandit dangling her in the air by her purple pigtails while another snatched Luffy by the back of his shirt before both children were chucked forward, crashing against the wooden well. Nervously, people poked their heads out of their heads from the safety of their homes, horrified at the sight of the two young children being struck repeatedly by the bandits. Some wanted to help them, but it would be a pointless struggle; none of the villagers were strong enough to stand up against the bandits._

_Luffy and Takara would need a miracle to help them now._

_Takara was developing a series of bruises, some blood being spat out of her mouth, purple hair clumping in her eyes as Luffy glared hatefully up at Higuma, whose eyes were hidden by his black bangs. He was beyond pissed now: first the little bitch had hit him with a bottle before he got sucked punched in his nuts by the boy, who should have known better than to do that. He dug his foot harsher into Luffy's chest._

"_Leave Takara alone," Luffy snapped. "Only a coward hits a defenseless woman!" While the purplette in question was silently snapping at the boy next to her, the onyx eyed child plowed on. "Hit me all you want, but touch a single hair on Takara's head and I'll kill you!"_

_The purple eyed girl blinked in surprise, glancing at Luffy out of the corner of her eye in shock, shocked that he would care so much. She didn't doubt the sincerity of his words, any Monkey D. honored their words like others honored their gods. Still, no one had every protected her like this, save for her elder siblings and Niisama. _

_As if being linked with her mind, Luffy managed a grin at the girl next to him, smiling despite the obvious pain he felt. "Takara's my nakama, ne?" he said, as a statement rather than a question, expressing that no say in the matter whatsoever. Takara blinked, eyes quivering slightly before her face split into a confident smile that she hadn't shown in years, giving a nod._

"_Muu, then Luffy's my nakama too."_

_Unmoved by the astonishing sight of friendship, Higuma snapped his foot harder into Luffy's chest while he yanked on a purple pigtail, smirking at the slight wince of the girl as he did so. "You two better watch your mouths. No one who's ever made me mad has ever lived to tell the tail." With that, his hand grasped the hilt of his sword before all movement was stopped by a shout._

"_Wait!" It was none other than the Mayor, an older man in a stripped hat who had always criticized Luffy's decision to become a pirate, saying it would only shame the village. Nevertheless, he still managed dotted upon Luffy and Takara whenever he had the chance, always amused at the boy's playful antics and rubbing purple locks in a fond way. Now, his face was pale and sweating, obvious worry and fear for the little children on his face. "Let the two of them go! Please! I don't know what Luffy and Takara have done nor do I intend to fight you, but I promise I'll pay whatever you ask," he begged, dropping his walking stick as he knelt onto the ground, bowing deeply. "Please, spare these two!"_

"_Mayor!" Luffy and Takara couldn't believe that the old man was doing so much for them; they were the ones who had gotten themselves into this mess, neither had expected someone to help._

_Higuma smirked viciously, sick pleasure brought on by seeing someone bowing to him. "Leave it to the senior citizens to know how the world works. But it's too late for these brats now. After all, these two have made me struck me and made me mad," he expressed, unsheathing his sword with a confident wave._

"_You're the bad guys, you rotten apes!" Luffy snapped_

"_As it was, I was thinking of selling the rubber brat to the circus, keep the girl around, she'd be useful in a few years or so," Higuma stated with an evil smirk, his men chuckling as Makino and the Mayor gaped at the obvious malicious intent. Takara's eyes narrowed while Luffy growled in his throat, neither one wrongly guessing what the man had wanted from the girl. "But you're both lost causes, I'll kill you and your little nakama too," he decided, lowering his sword down to the children's eye level, preparing to lop of both of their heads in one-felled swoop._

"_No! Luffy, Takara!" Makino cried as the mayor tried to beg once more, the watching citizens' horrified as the cruel bandit prepared his strike._

"_I was wondering why no one came to greet us at the port," a wonderfully familiar voice said from directly behind Makino and the Mayor, making many turn around to find none other than Shanks and the rest of the Red Hair Pirates standing before them. The whole crew had somehow managed to sneak up on everyone in the square. Shanks wore a black cloak, standing between the barmaid and the mayor with a confident grin on his bowed face. The other members of the crew were a little more serious looking, save for Lucky Roo who had his customary smile on his face, all looking ready for action. Never before had Luffy and Takara seen such expressions on the normally easy going, if not party friendly, crew before._

_All of them had a look of grim determination, mixed with a healthy dose of anger, their wrath promising pain onto any who dared to harm the two children that had become so important to them. Luffy had known that the Red Hair Pirates were dangerous and Takara had heard tales of their viciousness in battle, but they could never seem to truly link those rumors to the bunch of fun loving fools that inspired the boy and taken care of the girl. Luffy was incredibly grateful that he was not one of their enemies and Takara nearly shivered, reminded terribly of her Niisama when he went into a rage or fell into bloodlust._

"_Looks like those nasty mountain bandits from before," the straw hat captain noted, making Higuma snarl at him, the rest of the bandits shifting their weight and grasping their weapons slightly, preparing for an attack._

"_So, you pirates are still here huh? Have you been scrubbing the whole village this entire time?"_

_Ignoring the taunt from the black haired man, Shanks turned his attention to the two captives, a teasing smile on his face. "Luffy, Takara, what's the matter? I thought your punches were like a pistol? And you Kara-chan, you're Niisama'll be so mad when he finds out simple bandits took you down."_

_Takara's eyes widened with fear at that remark while Luffy grinned despite the situation, ignoring the cold sweat of his best friend who was silently despairing the fact her master would work her like a dog once he found out. She could already hear his words, short and clipped: "Takara, I heard a man with a measly eight million beri bounty defeated you. Your training regime has increased gaki. En guard."_

_If it were not for the fact that her past had made her heart like stone, Takara would have wept anime tears, her soul silently leaking out from her parted lips as Luffy responded to his idol._

"_Yeah! I managed to hit him in the junk, like Kara said!"_

_Shanks didn't seem to react, although the slight widening of his eyes portrayed his surprise, but the dangerous aura he leaked just like Takara's Niisama didn't decrease a single iota. It was clear to tell that the bandits would not fare well, little more than dead men walking._

_Growling under his breath, but the aura of death and danger causing fear to worm its way into his heart, Higuma managed to deliver a scorn filled glare at Shanks. "I dunno why you're here, but you'd better leave before you get hurt."_

_Shanks said nothing to the thinly veiled threat, merely walking towards the group around the well with brisk steps, even as a bandit ran up into position and placed the barrel of a gun against Shanks' temple._

"_Any closer and he'll shoot your head clear off, wimp."_

"_He said no closer," the bandit said. "Don't make me blow your head off, especially in front of the kids." He taunted, his fellow bandits smirking and chuckling, Luffy and Takara couldn't say a word, helplessly watching the scene play out._

_Shanks only smirked, his bangs and the straw hat shielding his eyes from view before calmly sliding his gaze at the bandit._

"_Put your life on the line," he ordered._

"…_Huh?" The bandit asked intelligently, confused as to why the redhead wasn't trembling in his boots._

"_Now that you've drawn your pistol, you've put your life on the line. Are you willing to use it?"_

"_What the hell are you rantin' about?" The bandit questioned, looking at Shanks like he was a madman._

"_I'm simply saying that guns are not for threatening people. They're for action."_

_Before the bandit had a chance to answer him, Lucky Roo somehow appeared like magic, his large build not making a sound, save for the loud explosion as he pulled the trigger to his pistol, shooting the bandit in the head. He was dead before he hit the ground, Lucky Roo standing over him with that cheerful smile on his face, a leg of meat in his left hand, the other holding the pistol. He took a bite of his meat, as if nothing had ever happened._

_Makino, the Mayor, Luffy, and even Takara gasped out loud at the display of quick movements and horror (although Takara had seen _far _worse scenes in her youth) as the bandit's blood splattered across the ground. Luffy was awestruck, amazed at how fast the green and white stripped pirate had moved, not even catching a glimpse of him, Takara wishing she was as fast. The bandits were outraged, seething at such an underhanded move (to be fair, they had to be the most underhanded of the bunch, so they shouldn't have been surprised)._

"_You…You're dead men!"_

"_These bastards fight dirty!"_

"_Dirty?" Yasopp questioned with disgust plain in his voice, glaring at the men who dared harm innocent children, his hands itching for his gun. "Who do you idiots think we are?"_

"_Cut the crap," Benn ordered with a scowl, grasping his own rifle. "What, you landlubbers think we're a bunch of saints or something?"_

"_You folks are dealing with pirates," Shanks agreed casually, as if commenting on the weather, stepping away from the bleeding body to prevent the red liquid getting on his sandals. "We hardly play by the rules."_

"_S-Shut up!" One bandit snapped. "You got nothin' to do with this in the first place!"_

_Shanks glared at the man, who instantly pissed himself, Takara reminded greatly of her Niisama even more now; she could see why he and the redhead were such great companions. "That's where you're wrong. Listen up, bandits. You can spray and splatter alcohol or food on me; hell even if I'm spat on, I'll laugh it off and forget about it…But! I won't forgive a single soul who dares harms a single one of my friends, no matter what the reason! That's where I draw the line!" Shanks snapped, his face darker than anyone had ever seen before._

_Luffy felt like crying and Takara swallowed, both of them stunned by such a proclamation. Here was Shanks and the rest of the crew risking their lives for them, something most would never consider doing, thinking that a pair of brats had it coming to them. They couldn't believe that Shanks even counted them as his friends._

_His fear growing even more, Higuma tried to laugh it off, sounding hysterical and sharp, but still displaying confidence. "HAHAHA, won't forgive me?! Lousy pirates! KILL THEM ALL!" He order to his subordinates. Without any further prompting, although they were shaking though it would be worse if their boss punished them, the bandits charged forward, screaming as they held their katanas at the ready. Benn stepped forward next to Shanks as they drew closer, giving his captain a look as he hefted the rifle slightly._

"_Let me deal with them. Should be easy enough," he remarked dryly. As if to echo his thoughts, Benn swung into action, charging forward and lashing out at the bandits, his rifle used as a club. The sounds of pained yells and heavy blows filled the area as the first mate moved with such speed that Lucky Roo was put to shame. In a matter of moments, the entire group of bandits had been reduced to a pile of broken and beaten bodies, groaning at the unfairness of life and the horrendous pain inflicted upon them. One sword was even knocked sky high, wedging itself into the dirt beside Higuma, narrowly missing his foot, making him pale and sweat all the more._

_Benn, the only one left standing, idly smoked his cigarette, keeping a careful eye on Luffy and Takara, both silenced by the power they had witnessed, his gun pointed straight at the purple coated man. "Don't overestimate yourselves, bandits. If you wanna fight us, you'd need a warship or something to even hope to give us trouble."_

_Luffy could only stare in shock; never before had he seen a single man take down at least a dozen other men without a sweat, almost like it was no effort. Takara, less surprised, was none the less appreciative to the elder man's skill, her Niisama and Aniki having done similar actions in the past. Still, it was so hard for them both to believe that these men were the same laughing men, always eager to tell a joke and tease the pair of them, that they had managed to befriend._

_His fear growing now, his movements frantic and panicked, Higuma tried to reason with the pirates, although everyone witnessing the fight knew it was too late. "H-Hold on, it was the kids you attacked us!" he said desperately, his eyes darting around for a chance of escape, his sword outstretched in a desperate attempt to defend himself._

"_Didn't you say you were a wanted man with eight million beri on your head?" Shanks questioned with a smirk coldly, successfully countering the man. Higuma flinched before he chucked a small capsule at the ground, smoke bursting forth upon the glass breaking. It swept forward at a surprising speed, blanketing the area in black and hindering the pirates' ability to see. Once the smoke had finally cleared, Shanks could only stare in fear and anger at the spot where the young boy and girl he had befriended was empty. All the other pirates glared dangerously upon seeing only a lock of purple hair and some scraps of Luffy's torn clothing littering the ground. Even the happy-go-lucky Lucky Roo was enraged, growling as he chucked the leg of meat away._

"_Luffy! Takara!" With that, Shanks' face fell as he clasped both of his hands to the sides of his face as Makino screeched in horror. "Shit! I let my guard down! They're gone! What're we going to do? He'll _KILL _me if Takara's hurt!" Shanks shouted, thinking of the shadowy form of the purplette's master, the outline of a distinct sword in the image. He glanced around, begging his crew mates to help him come up with something before either of the kids was hurt._

"_Quit freakin' the hell out boss!" Lucky Roo shouted, knowing that if his captain lose his head, Luffy and Takara were likely to lose _their heads_! "We'll split up n' search to find em!"_

"_I can't believe this guy," Benn snarled as they scattered, darting away in search of the hateful man and his hostages, all looking for those two brats to had managed to worm their ways into their hearts._

~~風~~

_Out in the choppy waves a few miles off the coast of Dawn Island, Higuma was in a small boat that he had stolen from the harbor, trying to make his getaway. His two hostages, Luffy and Takara, were curled up as far away as possible from the despicable bandit, who held his blade threateningly at the pair._

"_HAHAHA your pirate friends will never find me here," Higuma laughed, taunting the children, whose eyes narrowed at the remark. "No one would expect a mountain bandit out at sea!"_

_And there was a reason for that, most bandits knew a little about boating, but would never adventure far out into the ocean without the proper equipment. Luffy could only classify Higuma as an idiot in addition to a coward, Takara's narrowed eyes revealing similar thoughts. Quickly, Higuma sheathed his sword and grabbed both children, Luffy by the back of his shirt and Takara by her long, messy pigtails. Immediately, the two began to thrash about, trying to get a clear shot at the bastard._

"_Put us down!" Luffy shouted, to enraged to even use his new powers. "I hope you die!" Takara agreed with her classical "Muu!" of rage._

_Higuma could only laugh, a sadistic gleam in his eyes. "Unfortunately, you've both outlived your usefulness, you're the ones who're gonna die. After all, you made me mad."_

_With that being said, he chucked the two of them overboard, launching them high into the sky before they disappeared into the crystal blue water. Takara's purple head broke the surface after a moment, gasping for air before turning her face side to side, looking for her best friend. Luffy was silently cursing the damned bandits as he slowly sank, floundering in the water, unable to even float due to the curse inflicted upon him. _

Damn them. I only managed one hit in it! Damnit! _His thoughts screamed as he tried to fight against gravity that was determined to sink him to the bottom of the ocean, the sea eager to reclaim the Devil Fruit that the boy had consumed. _

_Higuma laughed at Luffy's struggles while Takara quickly swam over to him, just as Luffy's head sunk below the waves. Taking in a deep breath, the girl ducked under the water, rapidly swimming in the water like an otter to grasp the onyx eyed boy, fighting the cursed current to drag him back to the surface. Upon breaking through the barrier between sea and air, the two children quickly gasped, Luffy clinging to the purple eyed girl as much as possible, as she was the only one he could for miles. Their eyes glared hatefully at the laughing bandit, only for their eyes to widen at the massive bulge appearing from the waters behind the boat. Once the waters had receded, a massive brown sea monster with a toothy grin, blue fins, and red eyes, complete with orange pupils, glared hungrily down at Higuma, who continued to laugh, unaware at the reptile behind him._

_It was none other than the Sea King that roamed the waters around Goa Island, known as the Lord of the Coast by the villagers, a violent creature that attacked ships occasionally. The strangest thing was, only those carrying crews with malicious intents were slaughter, as Shanks and his crew had safely navigated the waters. It had seemed that the bandit had been judged by the Lord of the Coast. Higuma only had a moment to scream before he and his small boat were snapped up in the massive jaw of the Sea King in a single gulp._

_Luffy and Takara could only watch in fear as the great being turned its attention on them, a flash of curiosity in its ruby hued eyes. It dove underneath the water, swimming towards them both. Takara tried to paddle away, but carrying Luffy's weight as well as her own so far out in the ocean was no easy feat, the girl only getting them a few feet away as the Sea King grew closer._

"_Help!"_

_The massive Sea King burst above the water, its mouth open to reveal the gleaming teeth, poised to sink into the children's flesh. Unable to help it, the two of them shut their eyes, Luffy despairing at the end of his journey to become a pirate while Takara contemplated the irony of her name, dying at the hands of a sea creature. Something strong gasped at the two children, yanking them both to a large, warm chest and the Lord of the Coast soared past them, its mighty jaws shut._

_Luffy with tears in his eyes as he gazed upwards, seeing none other than Shanks holding him and Takara in his right arm, his face a grim look of anger and determination. The purplette stared at him in shock before she smelt something and looked to her left, her eyes widening even more at the sight._

_The Sea King emerged from the water, mildly annoyed that his tasting snacks had gotten away before he flinched at the murderous expression and the almost suffocating power that the red hared man was exuding. The look on Shanks' face, coupled with his trio of scars and vivid hair, was enough to make a normal man piss his pants and even the Lord of the Coast was edging back slowly._

"_Get lost!" he snarled at the Sea King, which trembled violently with beads of sweat (anime style) streaming down its face before it turned tail and fled, unable to meet the gaze of the older male for very long._

_Luffy watched in shock as the eel-like creature fled before he buried his face into Shanks' shirt, sobbing uncontrollably while Takara laid her head into the coarse material, drained. Shanks sighed in relief, pulling the two closer to him in a one-armed hug. Takara's slim fingers dug into the cloth and Luffy's grip tightened, both terrified that if they let go of him, Shanks would disappear in an instant._

"_Thank you, Luffy, Takara," he said softly, trying to comfort the crying Luffy and trembling girl. "Makino and Woop Slap told us how you defended our honor, putting yourselves at risk to protect your friends." Pride leaked into his voice as he tried to reassure the hysterical children, managing to rub his hand on Luffy's head before moving to Takara, but neither could be consoled, both of their gazes on a terrible sight to their right._

"_Hey you two," Shanks said with a laugh, not an ounce of pain on his face, his tone as lighthearted as always. "Don't cry; you two are tough right?"_

"_But…Shanks…YOUR ARM!" Luffy screamed, sobbing even harder now while Takara's lip trembled, the sting of tears entering her eyes, yet she did not cry. Shanks left arm was completely gone, only part of the limb still attached to his shoulder with white tatters of his shirt hanging where the body part had once been. The wound still leaked red blood from where the arm had been ripped off by unforgiving teeth. Luffy shook violently, because he had spoken out and gotten in trouble, Shanks had lost the use of his arm; because of him, Shanks was hurt! A wave of fear rushed over him. _

_If Shanks hadn't been there, Takara would have been hurt instead!_

"_I'M SORRY!" he screamed while Takara burrowed her own head into Shanks' chest, her little frame shuddering with the tears and sob she couldn't release. _

"_It's only an arm you two, it's no big deal," the redhead said comfortingly, his voice not even slipping into pain as Luffy wailed his heart out before he saw a tear running down Takara's cheek. With a teasing grin, he said to her, "Kara-chan, I thought a real warrior didn't cry."_

_Tears streaming down her faces in two rivers now, the purple haired girl shook her head. "I'm not…it's…just raining…raining really hard." So many had been hurt protecting her: Tou-san and Kaa-chan, Onee-san, Aniki, Nee-chan…now Shanks, the only other male role model in her life save for her brother and her master. In truth she wasn't just crying for the man before her, she cried for them all._

_With a hearty laugh at the clear blue sky above, Shanks pulled the two even closer, Takara joining in Luffy's tearful sobs now, her icy, stone heart shattered, if only for now. "I'm just glad you two are alright," he said softly, thanking God that everyone had pulled through._

_After what seemed like hours of sobbing, bobbing in the water, Shanks heard the welcome sound of oars breeching the surface of waves, smiling as he saw his first-mate rowing towards him and the kids, who were now unconscious, tired out from their adventure that day and their tears. Benn had a look of relief plain on his face as he made his way forward._

"_About time you showed up," Shanks joked, gently passing over the fitfully sleeping children to his first-mate, one handed. The bleeding stump on his left arm made Benn paused, eyes wide as the wound leaked out a little as he accepted the soaked bundles. After setting them down with blankets covering their shivering frames, Benn helped his captain aboard before he rowed them back to shore, neither saying a thing as the black haired man paddled._

"_Benn…" Shanks whispered, his eyes focused on the children. Understanding what he meant, he quickly turned his attention to Luffy and Takara, passing the two of them over to Shanks, who cradled them awkwardly, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his wound._

"_They're okay, captain, just plain exhausted. I'm more worried about you," Benn said with a glare at the redhead, who chuckled slightly._

"_I'll be fine," he said, rubbing his sole hand fondly across black and purple locks, the children interwoven as they slept, hands clasped tightly to the other. "I'm just glad we're all okay."_

~~風~~

_After a week of recuperation from his surgery that removed what was left of his useless arm, Shanks had made a full recovery. Luffy and Takara had not let his side for an instant, dogging his every step like ducklings following their mother. Shanks had, in turn, fondly teased them before he had to break the sad news to him._

_He and his crew were preparing for their next big journey, only thing time, they wouldn't be coming back to Fuusha Village. As sad as it was, they had frequented the island too much and were sure to be caught by the Marines if they continued to use it as a base. Villagers were bound to be hurt in the struggle, so Shanks had decided to move his base of operations elsewhere._

_To their credit, Luffy and Takara had said nothing, surprising Shanks and the other Red Hair Pirates at the boy's maturity. They had expected the boy to pit a fit and beg to be taken along, yet there were no tears or pleading. Takara was a given though, she hardly ever showed emotion and Shanks hadn't mentioned her moment of weakness, knowing it probably embarrass her._

_Soon, the sad day had come as the Red Hair Pirate began to load their ship, the Romance Dawn, up with supplies, joking and laughing as they did so, trying to keep the spirits up. It was still painful, as every pirate aboard had grown close to the villagers of Fuusha Village, a pair of little kids in particular. They bid the townspeople, all of whom even the cranky old Woop Slap watched, a cheerful farewell, who in turn wished them a safe trip, all hoping for the chance to see one another again. Yasopp and Lucky Roo rubbed Luffy and Takara's heads with fondness as they exchanged goodbyes, Benn nodding as they walked up the gang blank._

_Shanks had on his pitch black cape, carefully hiding his lack of a left arm from foes. and he was just about to head towards his ship when Luffy, grinning up at him, interrupted his thoughts._

"_Leaving, right?"_

"_Muu, trying to leave without a goodbye?"_

_With a smile, Shanks turned around to face Luffy and Takara, who hid her lips with Tenpesto. He nodded as he said, "Yeah, we've spent a nice year here, but its time we move on. Will you guys miss us?" he asked with a teasing smile._

"_Yeah, but this time, it's gonna be different!" Luffy shouted, pointing his finger at his role model while Takara "Muu"-ed, snapping shut her tessen. "This time, I'm not gonna ask you to take us, we're gonna be pirates by ourselves!" he boldly stated._

_With a laugh, Shanks stuck his tongue out the two, making Luffy's smile deep while Takara snapped her tessen back up, her façade unbroken. "Either way, I wouldn't have taken you two up. Your Niisama made me swear on my life not to let Takara join and you'd be such a bother Luffy; you'd never make it as a pirate." Deep down though, Shanks couldn't help but be happy at the two kids, who could continue their childhoods, relieved that they were both still the same, Takara changing for the better with Luffy as her friend._

"_No! I will make it as a pirate," the onyx eyed boy declared with utter conviction and confidence. The crew all glanced up from their positions at his yell, all grinning at the boy who would always stand by his word, accompanied by the purple haired girl. "I'll gather the strongest crew that'll rival yours and Takara and me'll find the world's greatest treasure, the One Piece! No matter what, I'll become the King of the Pirates!"_

"_Muu! The next time you hear my name, I will be the strongest pirate to sail!" Takara boldly stated, her violet gaze fiery. "And I'll make sure Luffy achieves his dream!"_

_The crew all grinned together. They had heard such claims before, but this time…with that kind of confidence and determination from the two kids, they had no doubt that those two were going to make it or die trying._

"_Heh, you think you can outshine us?"Shanks questioned with a raised eyebrow. Luffy ducked his head slightly, unable to meet his role model's gaze when he suddenly felt a weight on his head. He glanced up, stunned to see that Shanks' precious straw hat was resting on his head, the man's hand on the top of the hat. "Then, I better leave this hat with you, Luffy. It means more to me than anything in this world, so take care of it, will you?" he asked, tilting the brim down over the boy's eyes, hiding the boy's tears he was failing to hold back, as well as his own, just prickling his eyes._

"_As for you Kara," Shanks said, looking slightly embarrassed as he watched the waiting girl, who was internally eager over her own gift. "I only have one hat, so…catch," he said, his right hand tossing her a small object that he had grabbed from his pocket. The girl complied, staring in shock at the small object. It was the ocarina that she would later use in her life, shining boldly in the light. "I recall you were fond of music," the red head said with a smile to see the tightening hands grip it close, "And the shells are from the Grand Line, a little piece of home for you."_

_After a few moments of contemplating her gift she gave a soft nod before beginning to speak. "Nee, Shanks?" Takara questioned, looking down at the ground, making the redhead blink, slightly confused. Did she not like the gift? "You won't…You won't tell Niisama, will you!?" she suddenly shrieked, jerking her head up to stare pleadingly into the captain's eyes, fear obvious in those purple orbs._

_Quickly turning his head away to hide the blush on his cheeks, Shanks adopted a thinking pose that terrified Takara internally. "Hmm…You did get defeated by bandits and kidnapped by their leader so I'd say…" The purple eyed girl closed her eyes, silently accepting her fate. "Of course I won't"_

_Shocked orbs of amethyst snapped open to look beseechingly up at the red haired man above her. Shanks laughed upon seeing her face, rubbing a fond hand on her head. "Your Niisama would kill me too if he found out! I don't want to risk that!"_

_With a hearty laugh that his crewmates added to, he patted the two of them on the heads once more before heading down the boardwalk towards the Romance Dawn. Once more, Takara commented on the terrible rain as water dripped down her and Luffy's cheeks, trying to hold back her sorrow while Shanks couldn't help but smile despite his own tears._

_Soon, with their custom jolly roger, with a red slash down the skull's left eye atop two crossed swords, whipping in the powerful wind that pushed the Romance Dawn away from port, the Red Hair Pirates were sailing away. Every villager was gathered at the docks, waving and cheering their goodbyes. Makino was laughing as Luffy, clutching his hat to his chest, and Takara, using Tenpesto, waved their own farewells to their heroes. With a grin, Luffy recalled Shanks' final words as the red haired captain himself waved his sole hand to them._

"_I want you to bring me back that hat someday, in pristine condition, and only once you've become King of the Pirates with Takara at your side, Luffy. That's our promise!"_

~~風~~

After Luffy had finished his story, with Takara interjecting tidbits or her own opinion, Zoro sank back on his spot at the edge of the boat, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the cheerful boy and the girl hiding behind her _tessen_. He hadn't expected such a tale from them that not only detailed the explanation behind how Luffy got his hat, but also how he received his Devil Fruit powers and how they were both inspired to become pirates. While he was upset that a bunch of pirates had just left a Devil Fruit out in the open, he had to admit they were the reason he was sitting with these two right now. He did smile though as Luffy fondly patted his hat, deep in his thoughts about the man he considered a great friend, the reason for his dream to become the Pirate King…a father-figure to replace the one he had never had and the one Takara had lost.

"Better not drop that hat again," the swordsman suggested to his captain, who shot him a slightly surprised look. Zoro grinned at Luffy. "It's really important to you and Takara, right?"

With a growing smile of understanding, Luffy nodded and Takara "Muu"ed thoughtfully as the black haired boy placed the straw hat back on carefully. "You're right, Zoro, I haven't finished my promise yet, I can't let anything bad happen to it."

The man smiled again before turning to the purplette above him. "So…Is there a story behind those bells of yours?" Zoro questioned, making the girl blink as one hand rose to rub against the metal.

"Muu…You tell me where you got those swords, I'll tell you," she responded cheekily, hiding her lips behind her oldest fan, _Tenpesto_'s slightly worn paint glinting in the sun. Zoro sighed but nodded to her, promising to leave the tale for another day. He could tell though, they were important to her, just like his white katana was for him. Between the three of them, they could probably keep telling tales until long after the sun set.

A rumble in the swordsman's stomach reminded him of his hunger and he groaned slightly, slumping against his spot. "Ugh…I'm so hungry, it's killing me." Luffy sighed in understanding, his head tilting upwards towards the impossibly blue sky before blinking in surprise, a dark shape catching his attention, quickly pointing at the air to make his companions look too.

Wheeling far above their heads was a large, pink bird, reminding them all of their hunger. Luffy grinned, leaping to his feet. "I'm gonna catch it! We'll eat the bird!"

"Looks pretty big," Takara noted, hopping down from her position on the mast, silently wondering how they were supposed to prepare a bird onboard a _wooden_ boat.

"Go for it, captain," Zoro encouraged, not really paying much attention. Grinning, Takara stretched his arms out to place them on the wooden mast, preparing himself for the jump, Takara standing behind her captain.

"Gum Gum Rocket!" He shouted, launching himself upwards towards the bird, Takara adding a powerful "X-Blast" to shoot him higher. Zoro hummed in understanding as Takara backed away, watching her best friend fly in the air. Upon closer inspection, both of them nearly face faulted upon seeing the strangely colored bird grabbed the straw hat boy tightly in its beak, carrying him off into the distance.

"AHH! TAKARA! ZORO! HELP ME!"

…

…

…

"MUU!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

The combined screaming of Takara and Zoro broke the sound barrier and they quickly flung themselves into action; Zoro grabbed the rowing orbs and paddled furiously after the bird while Takara whipped furiously at the mast, creating powerful bursts of wind with _Fuu_, her movements frantic and jerky, her eyes wide with fright. She doubted the bird would eat Luffy, but if he fell into the water…

"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU DUMBASS! GET BACK HERE YOU OVERGROWN BIRD BRAIN AND GIVE US BACK OUR CAPTAIN!"

"MUU! I SLICE YOU TO RIBBONS YOU FUCKING BIRD!"

Meanwhile for the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros, they were bobbing in the water, depressed that the pretty orange haired girl had tricked them out of their ship and treasure. The one with the curly hair blinked his eyes upon seeing the rapidly approaching wooden boat heading their way. Quickly, all three of them began to shout and wave their arms furiously, trying to get help.

"HEY! WAIT, OVER HERE! MEN OVER BOARD! MEN OVER BOARD!" the man with the black hat screamed, wheeling his arms rapidly.

"Great, castaways, just what we needed," Zoro sighed, not bothering to slow his rowing, Takara not pausing in her fanning. "We ain't stopping! Just jump on!" he shouted at the Funan Bros, who gaped at the pair of swordsman in shock, not seeing Takara from behind the mast. They barely avoided being rammed by the tiny vessel and grasped the edge of the boat, dragging themselves aboard against the harsh current.

"Wow, I'm impressed that you made it on board," Zoro laughed, amused.

"Muu, not bad," Takara said, stunning the Funan Bros with her presence.

"ARE YOU TWO TRYING TO KILL US?!" All three of them shouted at the swordsman while Takara grimaced at the loud noise. They quickly drew their weapons, stepping closer and leering at the purplette and glaring at Zoro.

"Stop this boat; we're members of Buggy the Pirate and we're claiming this ship as our own," the leader said. "Unless you want the woman's throat-"

Before the hatted man could finish his threatening, Takara dropped _Fuu_ and lashed out with _Sora _and _Arashi_, both _tessen_ closed to prevent spilling blood onto the only boat the trio had in their possession. A few moments later, all three of the enemy bandits were slumped on the ground before she returned her attention to Zoro. He was staring at her blandly, wondering why she got all the fun, while Takara studied the sky.

"…Muu…I can't see him anymore," she muttered with a growl, turning her blank face to the idiot men lying on the ground.

"I'll handle it," Zoro told the purplette before she could break any necks. He wanted to add some pain to the idiots who had caused the loss of their captain. It wasn't fun if she did all the beating up by herself. Besides, he _really _wanted to gut them for threatening Takara and maybe they could put themselves to use…

~~風~~

"Hahaha!" the black hat-wearing pirate laughed nervously, rubbing his hands together as the other two men furiously rowed them across the ocean. All three of them were smiling with pained expression, sizable lumps on three of their heads from where Takara and Zoro had easily and painfully beaten them. They had agreed to row the boat forward while the girl filled the sails with her retrieved _Fuu_. "We didn't know that you were the famous Pirate Hunter Zoro-san and his girlfriend..."

"PLEASE DON'T KILL US!"

"Keep paddling," Takara ordered without glancing back, annoyed with their loudness, not at all bothered by their remark.

"Great," Zoro hissed angrily as he watched the sky. "Thanks to you three, we lost sight of our captain. Just keep rowing us straight." Then, it suddenly clicked in his head and he rounded on the three of them, a furiously blush on his face. "W-WHAT THE HELL?! SHE-SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" he roared angrily at the three trembling pirates.

A foot slammed into Zoro's head, cutting off his ranting as Takara sent him a glare. "Muu…Don't be so noisy," she remarked, returning her attention back to the mast, completely ignorant of the reason he was so upset. They were friends, weren't they? So, wasn't she his girlfriend?

_Makes no sense, _she thought with a frown. (Sigh…Oh Takara, you dense, dense girl…)

Relieved that Takara hadn't taken offense to the pirate's words, Zoro sighed, rubbing the pain on his skull away. "Luffy, he should be able to take care of himself once he reaches land, right?"

"Muu, most likely. That bird's probably on its way towards the island I mentioned early. It's the only one around for miles. But…" Takara said, frowning at the trio, who flinched slightly under her unique eyes. "What the hell were you three bobbing in the ocean for?"

"E-Excellent question! See, there was this pretty girl who stole our boat _and _our treasure!" the black hat pirate said rubbing his hands together in a show of humility, even if the girl was less than half his age. The large round one nodded his head, an impressive black eyes blossoming on his right eye.

"That girl!"

"A really nasty one, but cute," the man with weird hair agreed, a large lump on the side of his face, slurring his speech.

"A-Anyway, the three of us were minding our own business after we had robbed a ship when we say a little boat in the water, kinda like yours actually now that I think about it…There was a girl slumped over the side of it." Takara and Zoro shared a look, having an idea where this was getting to now.

"She looked like she was dying and she asked us for some water in exchange for money. Now, of course we were _very_ concerned and promised to help her (_doubtful_ Zoro and Takara thought as one), but when we went on her boat to check out her jewels, she hopped onto our and sailed off!

"But the weirdest thing was, she predicted that a story was coming and, sure enough, a storm broke out and sank our ship! That's why we were stranded, it was terrible," the pirate said, finishing his heavily embellished sob story, making them seem like the victims but neither the swordsman nor the girl were fooled.

"Muu…So you saw a defenseless girl and decided to rob her, but were robbed instead?" Takara offered.

"Bingo!" The man said with a snap of his fingers, the other two eagerly nodding.

Zoro, however, was contemplating. A girl that could predict the weather, huh, that actually sounded pretty interesting. They hadn't mentioned she used any tools to help her, so she must have been pretty talented. Maybe Luffy would like her to join the crew.

"Think she wants to join up?" he decided to ask Takara, who tapped _Sora _against her head in thought.

"It's crowded, but if she has her own ship we could work something out," she agreed. Knowing her captain, he'd be ecstatic to gain a new crew member, especially one with such skills. Still, if she stole from these pirates, who's to say she wouldn't steal from them?

"No way! We have to kill her and get our treasure back!" the pirated screamed in opposition.

"Muu, if we find her, you can't kill her," Takara scolded to the trio of pirates, holding an opened _Arashi _in front of them, causing them to break out into a cold sweat. "You made us lose our friend, then we get to keep the girl. Payback."

Slightly impressed with the girl's negotiation skills and terrified of her, the Funan Bros agreed. She was still pretty scary, although she was even cuter than the girl who had tricked them. Actually, it made sense why she was so scary, they had tried to threaten her. "Still, we can't just return to Buggy-sama without our treasure…He'll…" The leader broke off, all three of them shuddering.

"Whose this Buggy guy?" Zoro questioned, guessing what would happen to the three of them due to the looks of horror on their faces.

"Y-You don't know Buggy-sama?"

"Muu, never heard of him, how high's his bounty?"

"Ten million-"

"Too low for me to bother with," Takara decided, focus on the ocean, making everyone sweat drop. _What the hell kind of bounty would impress her anyway-30 million?! _they all wondered.

"Well, he's the head of our pirate ship. He's even eaten one of the Devil Fruits, and he's just a plain terrifying person…Buggy the Clown…"

All was silent, Takara and Zoro exchanging looks. Knowing Luffy like they did, they instantly knew they were going to become involved in whatever struggle Luffy was likely to start and this Buggy person was probably going to be their next opponent. Takara questioned which one of the innumerable Devil Fruits did this Buggy eat and what ability he had.

"Ex-excuse me, miss?"

Breaking free from her mulling, Takara turned her head slightly, a fine eyebrow raised at the hat-wearing pirate sitting behind her. "Muu?" she questioned, irritated with him and the rest, it was their fault she and Zoro had lost sight of Luffy!

"W-Well…We all decided to tell you that you're…"

Suddenly, the other two pirates joined in, hearts in their eyes as they shouted, "REALLY CUTE!" Zoro nearly choked as he jerked around to face those idiots, but Takara merely raised her eyebrow once more, a note of confusion on her face.

"C-Can you tell us your name?" the curly haired one asked, unused to the unusual violet gaze resting on him. The purplette stared at them with disinterested eyes before she turned her head back to the front of the ship as she answered, "Mizuno Takara."

"Takara-chan~ You're so beautiful~" the trio of idiots chorused with a flurry of pink hearts surrounding them, making the girl wish she had a pack of ear plugs. They were so…weird, even more so than Luffy. They should be cowering beneath her and Zoro, not fawning over her. What was with them? Takara decided she would never understand the male species, save for Luffy and Zoro, those two were easy to figure out as their minds were hardwired: Eat, sleep, fight, pursue dreams, drink insane amounts of _sake_. She gave a slight sigh and turned her attention back to filling the sails with wind, catapulting their boat forward.

Zoro, on the other hand, was visibly growling, his deadly aura terrifying the trio of pirates, silencing them. They didn't have the right to call Takara beautiful damnit! They barely knew her and they had tried to kill her when they boarded! Of course, they had gotten their asses handed right back to them and it was hard to see Takara in action and not become-

The swordsman flushed slightly and shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. He didn't have time for this! Their captain was who knows where, which reminded him of the three pirates once more.

"Better keep rowing, got it," Zoro ordered, making the trio nod furiously, screams of "Sir yes sir!" filling the air as Takara went back to filling the sail, setting their course towards the distant island where Luffy _had _to be.

~~風~~

Meanwhile, on a certain island that Zoro and Takara were only a few miles away from by now, the entire town was deserted, the homes abandoned and empty of people. Belongings were scattered about on the street, with the occasional barrel or cart left lying on its side. In the harbor, was a massive pirate ship, painted a multitude of colors with a large circus tent set up on the deck. High above, waving in the wind, was none other than the Buggy Pirate's Jolly Roger. It was because of this flag that the civilians who had inhabited this town had fled, unable to fight back against the pirates.

There was a person in the ghost town, actually, running like their life depended on it, panting and breathing heavily. It was none other than the tangerine haired girl, darting through the empty street like she had wings on her ankles, a bundled up treasure map in her hands.

_Yes! I finally found it!_

Chasing after her were a trio of enraged pirates, dressed up like circus performers and holding cutlasses. It was not only anger at the girl that made them run, but also fear of their terrifying captain.

"Get back here you bitch!" One man with several series of stitches complained.

"Wench! Give that map back or else!"

"We just stole that chart of the Grand Line," one remarked angrily, as he had been the one to disguise himself and slip into the Marine Base to retrieve it. He didn't want his hard work to be wasted. "She's gonna pay."

"DAMNIT! If we don't get it back, we're gonna be dead meat!" All of them feared the possibility of their captain firing one of his deadly cannonballs at them if they failed to return the map.

The girl spared a glance back, a smug expression on her face as she slipped the rolled up parchment under her shirt, pressing it against her stomach. It had almost been too easy to steal from them. There was no way she was just going to give it back!

~~風~~

High above the town, resting atop the town hall building, a tent of white fabric bearing the Buggy Pirate flag had been erected. Within the cool darkness of the tent, Captain Buggy himself relaxed on a chair, impatiently waiting for the group he had sent to retrieve both the map and the thief. Once she was caught, he swore she would know true pain for her insolence.

As he seethed with rage, the blood vessels in his eyes straining now, a man ran up to him, his eyes on the sky, a giant creature flapping above them in the sky, a curious bundle attached to it. Upon looking at it in his binoculars, the man realized a bird was holding a…person?!

"Captain Buggy, I spotted something above the port!"

"Shoot it down," he ordered, hoping for something to distract him as he continued to wait.

~~風~~

The girl was still running, unable to find a temporary place to hide nor even an open doorway to duck into, the three pirates gaining on her tail when a powerful explosion from high in the air rocked the very foundations of the city. All of them staggered and turned their heads up to the sky, confused to see the explosion mark so high above.

"What the…?"

From the ground, the girl and her pursuers watched as something…no, someone was dropped from a pink bird into a cloud of dark smoke, falling through the sky, right towards them. It was a boy, frantically waving his arms and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"AAHHH! TAKARA! ZORO!" He screamed before he smashed into the ground, a plume of dust and dirt flying into the air and hiding a good chuck of the street from view. A crater formed between the orange haired girl and her pursuers, all of them shielding their eyes from the dust.

"What the hell?!" The girl cried, opening a cinnamon brown eye in surprise.

"That kid…fell from the sky…" one pirate said with uncertainty, as though unable to believe his own eyes. One of his companions reached out and smacked him on the head.

"Don't be stupid, that's impossible.

As he said that, Luffy appeared from the smoke as he clutched his aching head, otherwise unharmed from the unprovoked attack as he sat in the crater. "Damnit…Why'd they fire a cannonball at me," he wondered as he stood up, shaking dust from his clothes, surprising the group watching him. "Well, at least I'm okay. That was actually pretty awesome!" How the hell could a person have fallen from the sky and turned out okay?!

"Huh, I wonder how Takara and Zoro are doing?"

~~風~~

_Luffy: Whoa! Being alive after being chopped up is definitely not normal!_

_Zoro: What? As a rubber guy, you're plenty of a monster yourself!_

_Takara: Muu, can't really argue with that…_

_Nami: Nothing makes sense anymore! A rubber guy, a chopped-up guy…Who are these people?!"_

_Luffy: Pirates._

_Nami: No! That's not what I mean!_

_Takara: Muu, better get used to it if you're going to be on our crew._

_Nami: I never agreed to that!?_

_Zoro: Funny, I said the same thing, look where I am now._

_Luffy: In the next chapter of One Piece: True Treasure! Coulrophobia I: Enter Captain Buggy, a Terrifying, Mysterious Power! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!_

~~風~~

Hello readers, and thanks for being patient with me. Sigh…I hate car trips…From now on, expect the next update to be a week from the following day, as my track record seems to work out like that. How was the flashback scenes? I figure Takara would be quite violent in her youth, which has carried out into her teen years, but she dropped castration…I think…Anyways, whose ready for the Buggy arc? I'm including a tidbit here, as an apology for making everyone wait another day:

"_But I'm interested though. Killing you would certainly boost my reputation,  
the clown pirate remarked with great confidence, no doubt believing he could beat Zoro. Luffy frowned from his spot in the cage and Takara cocked her head to one side; Zoro wouldn't be beaten easily, they had seen him fight first hand._

"_If you try, you die," the swordsman threatened, his voice filled with forewarning and his gaze alone could have killed a puppy. _

"_Muu, if he'd died so early, I would have put him down," Takara said callously, purple eyes blank and void of emotion, but the grip on Zoro's arm told him she was telling him to be careful before she stepped away, an aura of malicious intent flowing off of her._

_Nami shivered at the dangerous aura as Zoro addressed Buggy. She was suddenly_ very_ grateful that the swordsman and the purple hued girl didn't know she was the reason why their captain was locked in a cage. She didn't want an ounce of that combined anger directed at herself. _

Remember, reviews are love and for each review received, Takara gets a pineapple.

Takara: Nani?! Muu!

Yup! So, I get a review, Takara gets a pineapple! Win-win situation, along with the fact you'll get the next chapter.

~~風~~

_Pineapple-_You've probably already noticed it, but Takara is extremely fond of this tropical fruit, as it greatly reminds her of home and family, along with its sweetness. It also symbolizes friendliness and graciousness, as the exotic fruit is often presented to new friends, representing Takara's grace and her friendliness, despite her cold front, to her friends. The fruit has had a long history and was taken from its native lands of Brazil and Paraguay, transported and planted in various new environments where it thrived, greatly reminding me of Takara's own struggles. Unfortunately for Luffy, he also has a fondness for the fruit and this can cause strife between him and Takara if she doesn't feel like sharing.

_Ocarina-_a wind instrument that Takara owns. Made of shells from the Grand Line, it's made for and can handle a great deal of abuse. Not only used to play recreational music. But Takara uses the seashell to listen to the wind, which can 'tell' her what's ahead and what's going on. It can only tell her about air-pressure, changes in weather, and the like, so she can't tell if a sea calamity, such as a whirlpool or rocks on a shallow bottoms, is approaching, severely limited to wind readings, which is why Luffy's boat sank the first time. I imagine that the song she played in this chapter similar to the wind instrumental in the Celtic song _Winds of Freedom_, watch?v=hTLEbErPl9I I based the design of the ocarina off of the one featured in the Pokémon movie, Pokémon: The Movie 2000 where I fell in love with Lugia's song.

_More on Niisama-_I'm keeping his name a secret, but I've dropped a few clues in this chapter, so I hope you can piece it together. You can still be surprised though when I finally reveal his identity.

_Mizuno-_Takara's last name that she adopted at a young age. The joke is that 'Mizuno' means 'of the sea' so of course Takara would find it ironic if she was eaten by a Sea King or through drowning. Despite her indifference, she does have a sense of humor due to Luffy.

_Romance Dawn-_This a fake name for the ship Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates use, as the original boat is never named in either the manga or the anime. The name comes from the fact that the first arc of One Piece is called the Romance Dawn-Arc.

Once more thanks for reading, and BIG thank-you to NibelungVelocity for allowing me to borrow upon some themes and aspects from her own story _Hanley_, s/5123221/1/Hanley

Ciao Ciao~


	5. Coulrophobia I: Enter Captain Buggy

**One Piece: True Treasure**

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder. OC, follows anime. OCx?

I have to say, Takara's one happy girl*points to where the purple haired teen is lying on a pile of pineapples, munching away happily on the yellow fruit* The reviews (and pineapples) have made her really happy and she has a few words to say.

Takara: Muu! Thank you to Rosy Fire, I suppose I'm not typical character, the pineapple was delicious. I don't know this Sanji…-.-" I don't understand men, muu…Thank you again 1loveluffy, while the real ship's name is unknown, Yozora liked the arc name so she decided to mention it in the story, hence why Shanks' ship is called that.

I can only offer my apologies for crappy internet that stops, along with car rides that only give headaches and back pains from sitting in the middle. Since school is starting in two weeks, expect the next chapter a week from this Sunday. The sixth chapter will be my last activity as a junior. After that, I'm a senior! Updates will vary once I'm back at school, but I'll try to shoot for one every two weeks. Check my bio for more information.

There will be crossovers with other animes later on. And remember, One Piece belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda and any future anime references belong to the companies that created them. No profit is being made off of this Fanfiction, please support the official releases.

~~風~~

Chapter 5: Coulrophobia I: Enter Captain Buggy, a Terrifying, Mysterious Power!

_There are two types of people in this world People who hate clowns…and clowns…D.J. MacHale, __The Quillan Games_

~~風~~

_Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece._

_Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea._

"_You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"_

_And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age._

~~風~~

(The first opening song **We Are **plays.)

~~風~~

The orange haired girl could hardly believe her eyes as a person slammed into the ground from the sky. The cloud of dust his landing kicked up stung her eyes, but once it had cleared away, she could only stare in shock as he got to his feet without even a scratch. He casually dusted his red vest and blue shorts off, one hand having a firm grip on his straw hat. She suddenly realized that he looked familiar, recalling him from both Alvida's ship and from the Marine Base in Shell's Town As she watched him, however, a devious plan came to her and a smirk spread across her lips.

"Ah…I'm starving," Luffy sighed, rubbing his groaning stomach mournfully, not even aware that he was about to become involved in a bonafide shit storm. The orange haired girl quickly saddled up to him, her hands interlocked as she sent a falsely adoring, hopeful look at him.

"B-Boss! Thank goodness you came to save me!"

"Who are you?" Luffy shot her a confused look, utterly confused. Unlike the orangette, he couldn't really remembers her, as he was always busy dealing with trouble whenever they spotted each other. He had no clue that he had now been dragged into the struggle over the map (which he was ignorant of), still not noticing the three pirates that had been chasing the cinnamon-eyed girl. They however, now had focused their attention on the boy after getting over their shock, their grips on their cutlasses tightening upon hearing her call the straw hat kid Boss.

Before Luffy could question her again, wondering if she was some new crewmate Takara had managed to secure for him, the girl had already turned tail and fled, waving at him as she did so. "They're all yours, Boss. Have fun!" she called before disappearing around a corner, leaving Luffy alone with the pirates.

Luffy scratched his black locks from under his hat in bewilderment, questioning if this was how girls normally acted._ But Takara doesn't just run off like that…She's silent about it!_

"Damnit! The girl got away!" the man in a checkered bandana shouted.

"Don't worry, we got her Boss now!" the scarred man replied, focusing on the straw hat boy who still stood there in confusion.

"Yeah," the last one, a man with a bowl haircut that had a small ponytail attached, chuckled. "While it's impressive you'd cover for your underling, this is the end of the line for you!"

Luffy turned around to face the trio, questioning their weird clothing and ugly faces, still confused as to what was happening. He really wished Takara and Zoro would show up, the purple haired girl could probably help him understand the situation better. His stomach suddenly growled again, this time like an angry bear, forcing Luffy to sigh and ask a question.

"Do you guys know where I can find a good restaurant? I'm starved."

"Quit screwin' around kid!" the muscular, scarred man shouted, punching Luffy in the face. While the boy was unharmed due to the composition of his body, he watched in shock as his precious hat was knocked clear off his head. He gasped as he set a hand on his ebony locks before turning to give a glare at the taller pirate. While he was nowhere near Zoro's level for giving death glares, he did make the trio of pirates shiver slightly. Without another warning, he lashed out, striking the taller man right in the kisser, knocking him unconscious in a single blow. Luffy caught his hat and dusted it with meticulous care as the man crashed into the ground with a might BAM.

"Don't you dare touch my treasure," he remarked lowly as he set the straw hat on his head, shielding his eyes from view.

"BASTARD!" the two conscious pirates shouted angrily at their friend's defeat. While they were scared of the kid who could obviously pack one hell of a punch, they were determined to avenge their companion and beat the location of the orange haired girl from Luffy. They charged forward, tight grips on their swords.

Meanwhile, the orange haired girl was climbing on top of a red tiled roof, as silent as a sly cat, curious to see how the boy was faring against the pirates. She was actually feeling a little guilty about leaving the kid there all alone with those cutthroats, but what other choice did she have? And it wasn't like it was the first time she had used people to get out of a bad situation.

"I wonder if he's okay…" she muttered softly, deciding to see if the poor kid was dead.

"GUMO GUMO PISTOL!" Luffy shouted, launching both of his rubbery arms forward, his fists smacking into the pirates' mouths, no doubt knocking out a few teeth. They fell onto their backs in a daze, down for the count. At that moment, as Luffy's arm returned to their bodies, the orange haired girl reached the edge of the roof and poked her head out to spy. She gasped in surprise, amazed to see the trio that had chased her unconscious on the stone sidewalk as the boy rubbed his bicep, completely unharmed.

"Wow, you're really strong for a kid," she remarked, impressed by the boy's skill. He had to be powerful if he defeated armed pirates twice his size without becoming injured. Luffy glanced up to see the girl from earlier, lying on her stomach to watch from the roof top. She quickly hopped down to a small balcony, landing like a graceful cat on her feet, after checking to see if the coast was clear.

"Even though they had swords, you fought them barehanded and managed to beat them," she remarked. While she hadn't seen Luffy fight, she hadn't seen any weapons on the black haired boy so she could guess he was greatly skilled.

"Ah you're that…who are you?" Luffy asked again, not at all mad about the fact she had set him up for a fool against the pirates. It had actually worked out pretty well, as he needed to release some building tension from having been separated from his crew. He tilted his head to the side as he watched the cheerful girl lean forward with a smile.

"I'm a talented thief who steals solely from pirates," she remarked. "The name's Nami! Hey, you want to team up with me?" She couldn't help but think that if they became a team, they could easily make the fortune she so desperately needed. He seemed friendly too and could probably protect her again if they got into trouble. It might even have been fun.

"A thief? Nah, I don't want to team up with you," Luffy laughed, sticking his tongue out. He had had enough of stealing from people as a child and, while pirates did plunder, he wanted a little break for adventure rather than going around pickpocketing. Besides, if he teamed up with her, who'd be the captain for Takara and Zoro? With another laugh, he started to glance around, looking for an open restaurant to get something to eat. Man was he starved!

Nami stood there in shock, taken off-guard to have been so bluntly denied. Never before had someone so blatantly refused her so quickly. Seeing that the boy was walking away from her, she quickly off the balcony to chase after him, not wanting to take no for an answer. "H-Hold on! At least think about it for a minute," she said, easily catching up to the boy who was now contemplating where he could find an open resturant. Before Nami could start pleading again, Luffy's stomach rumbled dangerously, causing the boy to freeze and groan.

"Oh, I forgot. I'm starving," he moaned miserably, sinking to the ground and rubbing at his stomach as though to help it settle down, promising that he would eat something soon. The orange haired girl blinked in surprise before pity rose in her heart. She set a hand on his shoulder, making him turn to look at her.

"Why don't you come with me and I'll treat you?" she offered before both her hands were grabbed and eagerly pumped into the air by the excited boy, his traditional Monkey D. grin plastered across his face like a banner.

"Really? Thank you so much!" he shouted cheerfully before releasing her hands to give an informal bow. Nami sighed in exasperation at the kid's weirdness, but couldn't help but smile too. It was hard not to with Luffy's exuberance.

~~風~~

Back at the extravagant white tent situated at the tallest point in the town, one unlucky crew member of the Buggy Pirates had just informed his captain the bad news. He silently prayed to whatever god was up there that he'd at least see the sunrise the next day, knowing that Buggy wasn't a man to trifle with and could kill him faster than one could say "Swift".

"You're telling me those buffoons still haven't caught that thief or gotten my map of the Grand Line back?" Buggy snapped, irritated beyond belief as the man sweated nervously.

"N-Not yet, b-b-but they should be pursuing her as we speak, Captain Buggy-sama," the fat, bearded man said, his great bulk trembling in fear as he gave a shaky smile.

"Now, mind explaining to me how the map got stole so easily in the first place? Huh?!" the captain hissed in a low, angry voice and the fat man shook violently as he took a step back. He knew how important it was to find that map of the Grand Line; once they had it, it would be a cinch to navigate through the deadly waters. But now that it was stolen, Buggy was in a rightful mood, impatient to get it back and set a course for the Grand Line.

"We were going to the Grand Line soon to show the world our power. Now how are we supposed to get there?" Buggy's blood was reaching the boiling point now, his anger swelling like a balloon full of helium that was just about to burst.

"A-Actually, the chart was just sitting out in the open, just as plain as the nose on your face-"

Buggy's unseen eyes widened at one of the words, before they flashed in a dangerous way. "What…did you say?" he hissed, his glare deepening even more as the pirate suddenly realized his mistake. Desperately, he tried to come up with a reason to excuse himself and save his life, his great bulk shuddering violently.

"I-I-I mean…it was really easy for someone to find and take-"

Keyword being: tried.

"WHAT ABOUT MY NOSE?!" Buggy shouted, knocking over his chair as he stood up to emerge from the darkened tent into the sunlight, glaring angrily at the terrified pirate, believing he had mocked his nose. It was quite the honker too, a circular red nose that looked like the rubber kind clowns wore, although it was the real, God-given nose he had been born with. Watching up to his nose and epithet of 'Buggy the Pirate', he indeed resembled a jester, makeup on his face creating crossbones in the shape of an X, along with red lipstick and two blue lines above his eyes. He wore a flamboyant, fur-lined orange captain coat's over his red-and-white striped shirt and purple scarf, light-green pants and a green sash covering his legs. His orange tricorn hat bore the image of his jolly roger and the blue tassels hanging from it were actually his hair.

While he looked the part of a joker in his ridiculous attire and could have the personality to match, he wasn't all practical jokes and funny faces. No, Buggy was one of the fiercest pirates in the Eastern Blue, a sadistically cruel man who took gleeful pleasure in destroying his enemies and even innocents. While his harlequin style and the flashy clothes could mislead one into thinking he wasn't a threat, should one make a joke about his unique nose, he would take sick joy in extracting his revenge on whoever dared poke fun at it, growing so paranoid over it that he would even punish his own men.

He walked in front of the trembling pirate, bringing their faces closer so that their noses could touch, smirking dangerously at his subordinate.

"Are you trying to tell me my nose is funny?!"

"N-N-No sir, you misunderstood!"

"Is it large and red?!" Buggy questioned, too far gone now to be stopped by such a flimsy excuse. The fat man trembled even more and began to back away from his enraged captain. Unfortunately, he tripped, landing on his rear-end as he tried to beat a hasty retreat. Nevertheless, he frantically crawled backwards, eyes wide with terror. The rest of the crew, all dressed in outfits that belonged more towards a circus rather than a pirate crew, were too terrified of what their captain would do to them if they tried to help the crew-mate so they could only watch with horrified eyes, knowing that if they interfered, it would mean certain death.

"It's going to happen…"

"The power of the Captain's Devil Fruit…"

The fat man's throat was suddenly constricted, a tight grip around his neck, causing him to choke violently as his air flow was restricted. His hands quickly jerked up as he tried to free himself, try one again being the keyword. Everyone abroad knew what that meant; Captain Buggy was utilizing his Devil Fruit ability to punish the man for his insolence. The man gagged more as his throat continued to tighten before he was lifted into the air by his captain's power, being forced to move closer to Buggy, who smirked menacingly, always one who enjoyed the suffering of others as he tormented them.

"Tell me who I am," he asked in a voice as sweet as a poisoned apple.

"Cap…tain…Bu…ggy-" he managed to gasp out.

"And what happens to those who dare defy me?" the captain asked.

"A flashy 'gah' death awaits 'ugh; them, please 'guah' forgive 'huh' me." The poor man could only hope he wasn't choked to death, but he would much prefer strangulation to the other option: the dreaded Buggy Ball. Pleased with the man's choked apology, Buggy released his power and opened his clenched left hand, allowing the man to gasp in desperately needed air. He fell heavily onto the ground, breathing in a deep lungful of the precious substance as his captain turned around, deciding to relax in his tent while he waited. It was only a matter of time now.

"Quit your groveling. I'll overlook your slip up for now," he proclaimed before he paused in his walk, adding a dramatic flair before he continued. "But you better get that chart back, or else prepare the Buggy Ball. Don't screw up again."

The thinly threat made everyone pale, fear quaking in their hearts. "YES SIR CAPTAIN BUGGY SIR!" Every person surrounding him shouted, raising their hands in the air to salute their captain as he retreated into the cool darkness of his tent to watch the chaos unfold.

~~風~~

At the same time as the confrontation between Buggy and the fat man, Nami had led Luffy to a nearby house and easily entered through the door, as it wasn't locked since the owners had left in such a haste, they had been unable to lock up. Quickly shifting through the refrigerator and cabinets, the orange haired girl presented some food to the starving boy. He promptly thanked her and made a sandwich, which he managed to stuff into his face in one go, making Nami blink in surprise from her position on the edge of the table.

"Mmh! Delicious. So, do you live here all alone?" the teenage boy asked, glancing around the room, still chewing.

"Actually, I don't even live in this town," the orange haired woman admitted. "The villagers here were terrified of Buggy, so they all fled."

Luffy nodded in understanding, figuring that this Buggy was a bandit or something. "So you're breaking and entering," he noted.

"That's rude!" Nami shouted angrily, turning her nose up in the air at Luffy's audacity. "I'm a thief who only steals from pirates! Don't mix me up with those petty house thieves!"

Luffy swallowed the rest of his sandwich, a confused look on his face as he stared at her. She was taking food from people she didn't know, but then again, the food would probably spoil if they were gone too long and Luffy never wasted food. "But a thief is a thief, right?" recalling his own days of stealing with three certain others.

A hard look entered Nami's cinnamon brown orbs and she turned towards the wind, a distant look in her eyes. "My goal is to earn a hundred million beri. No matter how long it takes me," she said with conviction, recalling the promise she had made.

Luffy blinked in surprise at such a high amount, amazed that she had such a difficult goal, although he noted the strange look in the girl's eyes. "What are you going to do with that much money?"

"Secret," the orangette said, clenching the map tighter in her hands. Luffy shrugged, snatching up a roll and biting into it while setting some aside for Takara and Zoro. "Now that I have this map of the Grand Line, one hundred million beri isn't a dream," she explained as she hid the map under her shirt. Luffy's eyes widened upon hearing the destination.

"Wait, a map? Are you a navigator, right?" he asked curiously.

With a proud grin, Nami nodded at the teen. "I'm the best damn navigator you'll ever meet," she said with confidence. True, while she was unable to compare herself to other navigators, she knew that her skills were remarkable enough due to her past.

"I see, that's great," Luffy said, standing up in excitement. "Hey, do you want to join me and my two crewmates as our navigator?"

"Really?" Nami asked hopefully, leaning forward. She might have been doing alright on her own right now, but if she had the help of others it would be much easier for her to gain her the money she desperately needed.

"Yeah! We'll all be pirates together!"

Nami's face suddenly fell into a face of anger, a cold look of hatred spreading. "No," she snapped, glaring at Luffy, carefully studying him in disbelief. To her, the boy looked more like a fisherman, apparently harmless and childish, but she had been hurt too much in her past for her to trust pirates. Seeing the look of confusion, the orange haired girl sighed, a note of distaste and disappointment in her voice as she questioned, "So you're a pirate?"

Luffy grinned cheerfully as he nodded, taking his hat off to study it affectionately. "Yup, I promised the man who gave me this hat, that I'd gather a powerful crew and become a great pirate with my friend," he explained, thinking of Takara, wondering how she and Zoro were fairing now, but he was broken from his thoughts as Nami slammed her hands down onto the table, a glare marring her pretty face.

"I hate pirates more than anything else in this world! I only like money and tangerines."

Luffy frowned as he replaced his hat, a little confused as to why she would mention liking fruit...Nah, now all he could think of was a certain pineapple-lover. "Aw come on, be our navigator," he whined, a pleading smile spreading ear to ear.

"I said no!" she snapped, marching off towards the window to glare out into the empty town.

"Oh well," he shrugged with a sigh of resignation, deciding to try again later before turning his attention back to the tasty rolls. Nami stared at him for several moments before she sighed, glancing out the window. Hearing voice, she quickly hid herself from view, watching Buggy's men run up and down the street, shouting at each other. Due to their volume, she was informed that the practically the entire crew was searching for her and the stolen charter, making it unlikely or impossible that she would be able to escape.

_I gotta think of something and fast…_she thought with a frown before a light bulb went off in her head as she turned to the still snacking Luffy.

"You know," she said with a devious smirk tugging on her lips, "Maybe I will consider joining your crew, but only if you agree on a few conditions."

"Really? I'll do anything!"the straw hat boy promised eagerly, almost making Nami laugh.

"Well, then I want you to come with me to pay a visit to Captain Buggy the Clown," Nami said sweetly, looking like the cat that ate the canary.

"Alright then! Let's go!" Luffy cheered, standing up to walk to walk to the front door, eager to get the show on the road.

"Ah, hang on a second. I have one last thing to prepare," the orange haired girl said quickly, beginning to look around for something before her lips tugged into a smug smile. She grabbed the coil of rope and, no more than an orange blur to Luffy, had the boy tied snuggly up in the restraints, much to his confusion.

"Huh? Why'd you tie me up?"

"The rope is for appearances. It's how Buggy's crew meets visitors," Nami lied smoothly, hoping that the black eyed boy would fall for it. And of course, in the typical style of a Monkey D, Luffy bought it, hook, line, and sinker.

"I guess not. I don't mind meeting more pirates. Let's go!" he cheered once more, sounding much like an excited child eager to receive his Christmas presents. He began to lead the way, practically dragging Nami behind him.

"Wait! Hold your horses!" she screeched and quickly began to match him pace to lead him towards their destination, silently thanking the heavens for such a dense boy. Hopefully, this would all work out in her favor and they would both part ways to never see each other again.

~~風~~

Back at the white circus tent atop Orange Island's bar, the three men who had tried to capture Nami and had consequentially had their asses whooped by Luffy had just reported back into their captain. Obviously, he was less than pleased to find out that his men had not only been beaten, but they also lacked the thief and the map in their possession.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! The thief got away?!" Buggy roared, a glare to rival Zoro's satanic smirk directed towards the cowering men. They could offer no excuse, only hoping that their captain would have mercy on them as they screamed their apologies. However, it seemed that Buggy was inconsolable as he shouted, "YOU THREE ARE PATHETIC! FLASHILY DIE!"

The trio's eyes bulged in horror, thinking that their demises would either be by the captain's Devil Fruit powers or the Buggy Ball. Luckily for those three nameless pirates, divine intervention occurred as a dark skinned pirate in a striped hat ran up, shouting at the captain.

"Captain Buggy!"

"What now?" the clown captain said in annoyance, wanting nothing more than to kill the worthless men, who sighed when they realized they weren't going to be executed. The striped hat man pointed to his left, a look of fear and shock plastered across his face.

"That thief from earlier came back on her own! But she's captured someone."

"WHAT?!" Buggy shouted in disbelief. Everyone turned their heads, some even twisted their bodies around, spying two figures making their way forward. It was none other than the orange haired Nami, dragging a black haired boy in a straw hat after her, his body tangled up in rope. Everyone watched with confusion and suspicion, questioning as to why the thief had returned as well as wondering who the boy was. A certain trio immediately grew angry, enraged to see the girl who had almost led to their deaths.

"That's her!"

"She's the bitch who stole the chart!"

No one could hide their shock to see the orangette shove the black haired boy onto the ground with a harsh push. Luffy's eyes widened as he hit the paved ceiling with a large thud, Buggy watching with intrigued eyes as well. Even though Nami stuck her tongue out at the fallen boy, she couldn't help but feel guilty as to do this to Luffy. Still, business was business and it wasn't like she was going to abandon him completely.

"I captured the thief, Captain Buggy the Clown, and have come back to return the map," she said, her face serious as she stepped towards the clown, the precious charter in her hands.

The vicious pirate smirked as he looked the pretty girl over. "Thank you for returning the map…but why the change of heart?"

Nami held her left arm out, the map firmly clasped in her hand, and Buggy reached for the parchment. Once his white gloved hand grasped the map, the orangette backed away.

"I had an argument with my boss. I'm can't stand him anymore!" the girl said with a laugh, shrugging her shoulders dismissively before flashing an attractive smile. "I'd like to join your crew." Buggy's face contorted into an expression of rage as his eyes narrowed dangerously, causing his crew to flinch and fall into hysterics as they backed away.

"C-Captain Buggy looks furious!"

"He'll use his Devil Fruit powers!"

The whispers increased as the crew sweated making Nami stiffen in worry.

"Devil Fruit?" Luffy, on the other hand, questioned, appearing surprised and curious as he watched the clown pirate, intrigued to meet another Devil Fruit user. Much to everyone's surprise, Buggy's anger melted away like snow on a hot summer's day and he threw his head backwards, hysterical laughter shattering the tense atmosphere, causing the crew to relax.

"You're sick of him, huh? What a flashy interesting woman! I like you, you may join the Buggy Pirates," he said before dissolving into laughter once more. Nami couldn't have been more stunned, her mouth opened in surprise. The brown eyed girl had thought he would have needed more convincing, yet he already seemed to have forgotten how she had stolen his charter from him. While confused as to why he had made her part of his crew so easily, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth as she donned the false smile she knew how to use so well.

_My plan worked flawlessly! I always knew pirates were simple minded, _she thought with disdain. After a quick order from their captain, a few of the Buggy Pirates had Luffy tossed into a cage they had managed to find. Still tied up, the straw hat boy managed to sit up in the small square cage, a perplexed look on his face.

"Um…Why am I in a cage?" he questioned curiously, was this another way Buggy greeted guests? He received no answer, as Buggy and his crew laughed evilly at the trapped boy, Nami joining in half-heartedly as a sliver of guilt built up inside of her.

"Gyahahaha. I'm in a good mood today," Buggy chuckled, his attention on the orange haired girl. "What's your name girl?"

"I'm Nami."

"Yosh! Then let's have a welcome party for our newest comrade, Nami! Let's flashily celebrate!" the captain shouted gleefully, his arms tossed to the sides as his crew shouted merrily, all fear lost. If there was one good thing about Buggy the Clown, it was his love of parties.

The festivities were soon under way, an extravaganza that put all those in the past to shame as crewmembers brought out barrels of_ sake_. Everyone seemed to have a different way of drinking the alcohol; some chugged it straight from the mammoth barrels while others managed to gulp down eight glasses at once. Food was consumed in a similar fashion. All the pirates were having a good time as they danced and sang, one amazing other crewmates by driving a knife in between his fingers, increasing the pace as he went. Acts that belonged right in the circus ring were sparking up as the talented crew did juggling, pogo sticking, and even acrobatics for the Captain's amusement as he sat across from Nami, who only ate casually.

"What's wrong?" Buggy questioned her from around a leg of meat. "We're throwing this party in your honor. Enjoy yourself!" he commanded with a laugh.

"Of course, thank you Captain Buggy," she replied with a joyous smile that quickly deformed into a smirk. Once all the pirates were drunk, Nami planned to retrieve her map and all of Buggy's treasure before she released Luffy to part ways with him. She might have been heartless to pirates, but she couldn't really hate the boy to leave him there surrounded by cutthroats. She was also feeling a little bit guilty by making the straw hat boy her patsy.

Speaking of the boy, he was currently stretching his arm desperately as he leaned up against one of the bars, trying to reach as far as he could. No one noticed this, too caught off in their antics and fun. Most would have thought he was trying to reach for the key that dangled from a pirate's belt, but in truth, Luffy was hungry again and was hopefully reaching for a large platter of meat. He wasn't even an inch away from his goal before he reached his limit, his arm snapping back and sending him sprawling out on the concrete floor.

"Shit," he muttered in depression, almost in tears.

The party was still going strong almost an hour later, causing Nami to curse the high alcohol tolerance of the Buggy Pirates, who still preformed their acrobatics acts as Buggy laughed heartedly. While he was still amused by his crew's skills, it was becoming repetitive and he wanted Nami's welcoming party to be a spectacular event. As he mulled it over, his grin spread into a crazy smirk as he thought of the piece de résistance.

"I'm in such a flashily good mood! Men! Let's make this an even flashier party! Prepare the Buggy Balls!" he ordered with a ridiculous pose. His men immediately cheered exuberantly, their cheers practically doubling in volume as one group secured a cannon into the solid concrete, preventing it from flying off once fired. The dark skinned man with the unusual hat, a devious smirk plastered across his face now, made his way forward slowly, weighed down by a massive red cannon ball. This lead shell had the Buggy Pirate flag painted boldly on it, easily twice the size of a man's head. He set it into the cannon as others prepped the device for firing, Nami and Luffy watching with apprehension while Buggy and his men grinned.

"It's loaded!"

"W-What's going on?" the orange haired girl asked timidly, utterly confused as to why they were going to waste a cannon ball. She however, regretted her questioned upon seeing the sinister smirk spreading on Buggy's face.

"Just observe and be amazed at the might of the great Buggy Ball. Light it," Buggy ordered, his voice calm. As instructed, a man with Buggy's Jolly Roger tattooed to his head lit the wick, aiming the cannon at…the empty houses of Orange Town. Luffy and Nami watched in horror while the Clown Captain chuckled lowly. The cannon fired the red lead shell was sent forward, a massive, sickly yellow explosion half the size of the town itself issuing from the metal maw. The shell easily blasted through an entire row of the sturdily built houses like they were made of paper, leveling a whole section of the town, a column of smoke blanketing the blue sky in black.

~~風~~

The green haired swordsman was silently thanking his lucky stars, no matter how few and far apart they were, as their dingy reached port. The three Funan Bros had managed to get them to the island in little more than an hour, along with Takara's wind. They had just docked inside a fairly large harbor and were setting their feet on the shore. The Funan Bros were tempted to run, but one scathing look from Zoro and the _thunk_ of _Fuu_ being planted into solid concrete was enough to deter them.

"We're here, Master Zoro, Takara-chan!" one of the pirates said, earning yet another glare from Zoro while purple eyes scanned the city, looking for any signs of destruction that would point towards Luffy. It was a rather nice town from what she and Zoro could see. It had paved roads with tastefully decorated homes, a rather nice fountain with a whale-shaped water spout. It would have been anyone's ideal vacation home, had it not been for the docks and streets devoid of any activity whatsoever, the only other ship docked besides their pathetic boat being a massive pirate ship that gave Takara a headache just looking at it. It was painted garishly in a rainbow of hues that looked like a two-year-old had done it, an elephant figurehead at the front with a striped tent on deck.

It deserved to burn.

"Muu, the marines must either be very busy or very lazy," the purplette muttered. Zoro couldn't help but nod at that. Really, wasn't an empty town suspicious as hell and who could miss _that_?

"Why's the town so empty?" Zoro questioned the uni browed man, who sweated slightly.

"W-Well Master Zoro, our crew, the great Buggy Pirates, are currently using this town as a base and-"

"You're raiding the village," Takara finished simply, the three pirates reluctantly nodding acquittal. The swordsman, however, shot the girl a look, both thinking along the same lines: Luffy was probably wherever this Buggy guy was.

"Well then, we better go see this Buggy for information," Zoro said, hefting his swords onto one shoulder as Takara followed suit, _Fuu_ propped up like a rifle.

At that moment, however, a massive explosion of black smoke with a flash of yellow appeared, the level of volume near deafening. Immediately, Zoro grabbed onto Takara, _Fuu_ falling to the ground, and shielded her body from the blunt of the attack, the shock waves almost knocking them all to the ground. Flying debris smacked against their forms, but it was easily shrugged off and none of it was on fire as a fine layer of dust and ash settled on them. After the wind had settled down, Zoro lifted his head from purple hair to glance around, his eyes widening at the destruction as Takara followed suit. An entire row of houses to their left were utterly annihilated, a massive crater of timber and stone was all that remained of the once sturdy homes and shops, still smoking from the attack. The air was poisoned with the smell of smoke, an acidy scent spreading over the odor of gunpowder.

"What the hell was that," Zoro questioned with horrified eyes. Takara said nothing, her face a blank façade, but her amethyst orbs seemed wide at the destruction. While she was no stranger to violence and utter ruin, she hadn't seen an explosion like that for some time, especially in the East Blue. Suddenly realizing how close he was, Zoro took a step back while Takara remained where she was, her face focused slowly on Orange Town as she strapped _Fuu_ to her back.

"It looks like one of the Captain's beloved Buggy Balls," one of the pirates said with a shiver, the others following his lead. The two teenagers, however, weren't as moved, now recovering from their shock.

"Buggy Balls?" Zoro questioned with a smirk. Now that was just promising a good fight. "Well, at least we have a path to follow. That's our cue to head out then, huh Takara?" he asked the still silent girl, already having a good idea as to what her answer was going to be, even if she didn't reply.

"Uh…Master Zoro, Takara-chan already left," one of the Funan Bros said, pointing at the dotted outline where Takara had once stood. Zoro blinked, looking back at the outline that traced everything from the girl's pigtails to _Fuu_ on her back. He seemed calm until…

"TAKARA!? WHAT THE HELL?!" He shouted in exasperation as he grabbed at his green hair, about ready to pull it out. Zoro shouldn't have been surprised though, that girl's stealth could put a ninja to shame. But damnit, it was annoying when she snuck off! He wouldn't be surprised if she was already on her way towards this Buggy guy's base to break Luffy out, but that would only cause more problems, no doubt about it.

"Muu, you called?" a voice devoid of any emotion inquired from right beside him, making Zoro almost leap out of his skin as he twisted to stare down at Takara. The pigtailed girl blinked languidly up at him, a flicker of amusement in her eyes and _Sora _placed casually against her lips.

"WHERE THE HELL'D YOU GO?!" Zoro shouted at the girl who casually cleaned out her ear, finally deciding that by the time Luffy became the King of Pirates, she'd be deaf due to the swordsman's yelling.

"Muu, quit shouting, I only changed," she remarked calmly, removing her pinkie from her ear canal. "I wasn't gone that long."

It was true, Zoro had to admit. He'd probably never notice if the girl was gone in the first place, her sneaking skills were top notch. Luffy seemed pretty used to it, so she had to make a habit out of it. Zoro suddenly noticed that Takara had changed, wearing yet another sailor-suit style outfit. It was just like the blue one she had worn the first time they met, although the color scheme was now white with purple trim. The pleated plum skirt fell a few inches above her knees, paired with white knee-high socks and black flats. The pristine white shirt had a purple sailor-style collar, a plum tie hanging a bit lower than her breasts. Zoro couldn't help but question how the girl was able to perform such quick changes.

"Er…Right," he said, taking his eyes away from the purple haired girl, a slight blush on his face as he turned his attention forward. "Let's go get our captain back."

"Muu." Takara nodded before she sweat dropped. Zoro was going forward…in the wrong direction. With a sigh, she quickly caught up to him and redirected him in the correct way by dragging him across the road. Soon the pair was walking side by side, prepared to retrieve their captain from whatever mess he had managed to get himself into this time, the path of carnage serving a use for them.

~~風~~

Buggy the Clown and his men laughed cruelly and jeered at straight line of destruction that the Buggy Ball had caused. Nami's body was stock still, a single movement would have pitched her to the floor. She could only watch in horror, her cinnamon eyes locked on the terrible sight, disgusted and horrified at the powerful blast that leveled a row of buildings in its wake. With that kind of power, the entire town would be leveled in mere minutes if they amped up the number of the cannon balls.

"That was flashy!" Buggy shouted, breaking the orangette from her thoughts. "With these Buggy Balls and my Devil Fruit powers, I should have no problem conquering the Grand Line, right Nami?" he questioned the girl, who flinched slightly upon seeing his crazed eyes.

"Uh…Oh yes, of course!" she said quickly, not wanting to anger the trigger-happy captain. She had the feeling that if she went against him, she was going to be the next target for the infamous Buggy Balls.

"Hey! It's my destiny to conquer the Grand Line!" Luffy shouted from his spot in his cage, mildly annoyed that someone was talking about beating him to his dream. Buggy spun around, shooting an angry glare at the annoying brat that dared disturb him and spout such nonsense, but Luffy wasn't caring in the slightest. "I'm gonna be the King of Pirates!" he said simply.

Nami looked at Luffy in terror, couldn't he read the situation? "Shut up you idiot!" she screamed, worry and fear plain in her tone. Buggy calmed down and chuckled upon hearing the girl's cry. What he didn't realize was that she was more worried with the boy's safety than her own.

"Now I can see why you got sick of him, Nami."

"E-Exactly!" Nami cried quickly, trying to write the situation off, to better save her and Luffy's skins. "He just doesn't understand how the world works. He's such a kid!"

"So true. In that case, I have a certain present you're sure to love," he said, a sick grin on his face once more that made Nami shiver. "A Buggy Ball to blow up your old boss! It'll also be an opportunity to prove your loyalties to your new captain. Men!" Nami flinched in fright at the disturbing look on the madman's face, horrified at the thought of killing someone, especially someone who seemed so clueless about the world. The Buggy Pirates managed to turned the heavy cannon around with difficulty, pointing it towards Luffy, who didn't even look concerned about the thought of being turned to ashes by the loaded cannon. Nami tried to think of something, anything that could save Luffy's life before it was too late.

"Th-that's alright Captain! We don't need to finish him off yet, let's go back to the welcoming party and have fun instead," she pleaded, trying to persuade Buggy, but the smirk of pure evil that not even Zoro could match told her it was a battle she was losing.

"Do it. This is my way of partying," Buggy ordered, dropping a cardboard box of matches into Nami's hand. While it was tiny, the girl thought it weighed heavier than the whole world. The entire crew began to cheer and egg Nami on, hoping to see a grisly demise. Horrified, she turned her gaze towards the trapped boy, only to stare in surprise at him. He only stared up at her innocently, as calm as the still ocean. That only made her feel worse.

_If I don't shoot, I'll be killed…but if I do shoot then I'm no better than these pirates…_Nami's mind was racing, desperately searching for a way to escape this situation. But it was pointless as her plans crumbled to dust in her mind, knowing they were useless. Damnit, she didn't want to die, there was something she had yet to finish…she didn't want to become a murderer. Luffy stared blankly at Nami, seeing that she was sweating and trembling in her distress.

"What's the matter? Your hands are shaking," he noted with a grin, making Nami glanced down at him, spying the cocky look on his face. That made her stiffen and she glared back at him, trying to steady her shaking, clenched fists. Unbothered by this, Luffy continued on. "That's what happens when you go up against pirates with half assed resolve."

Nami sputtered at that. "Resolve?! To do what? Kill someone like it's nothing?! Is that this so called pirate's resolve?!" she screamed at the boy. He was just so…! Why could he be so calm, that he would even smile in the face of death, she questioned.

"No…it's when you're prepared to risk your own life," he told her with a fierce, confident grin. Nami stood there, stunned as her shook once more, the boy suddenly reminding her of…! Someone suddenly grabbed the box of matches away from her limp hand, causing her to jump in surprise, spying one of the Buggy Pirates crewmembers.

"Oi! Don't keep us waiting. This is how you light a match," he said, striking the object, a flare sprouting up on the edge. Eagerly, he leaned forward, ready to light the wick. Nami's eyes widened in fear and horror and Luffy stiffened slightly. Before the fuse could be lit, Nami reached her hand down to her leg, snatching the three wooden poles from the harness and put them together, forming a six-foot _bō staff_. She spun it around before smacking the man directly across the face. He dropped like a stone, unconscious, causing Captain Buggy and the remainder of the crew to gape at Nami's speed while Luffy was in awe at her reflexes.

"Shit…I couldn't stop myself," she muttered.

"Nami~" Buggy sang with a forced grin before it turned into a pissed glare. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I'm sorry!" she cried frantically, bowing at the waist, but that wasn't enough to quell the man's anger, as obvious by his enraged face, which was turning the same color as his ruby nose.

"What?! It's a little late for apologies!"

"What's with you?" Luffy questioned, confused about the complete one-eighty the girl was doing. "Didn't you just save me?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Nami shouted, jerking her body around to face the trapped straw hat, an enraged glare on her face. "I just got anxious, so I couldn't help it! I have no intention of stooping to the same level of these barbaric pirates!" she hissed, her angry eyes now focused on the Buggy Pirates. Luffy blinked, seeing deep anger and pain locked in those sad cinnamon eyes, a sight he was all too familiar with.

"Pirates just like these guys took away my most precious person from me. I hate their guts!" she snarled, her ferocity rivalling a starving tiger. And there it was, Luffy noted, the utter rage and hatred.

"Ah, then that's why-" Luffy suddenly broke off, confusing Nami before he began to scream hysterically, a small spark of orange locked in his sight. "The cannon, it's lit!"

Indeed it was, a small spark quickly devouring the wick only just as fast as Luffy ate meat. Nami's eyes widened in horror, silently cursing the fates right now. Not only would she have to save Luffy, she now had to deal with these pirates, who were looking particularly pissed off. Buggy was the worse, his blood vessels in his eyes bulging as he seethed.

"Do you really think you can defy me, you bitch!? Flashily kill her!"

Without further prompting, a group of four pirates leaped forward with eager, bloodthirsty faces, each holding a sword in both their hands. Nami paled, her eyes widening as they drew closer before she steeled her courage and swung her _bō staff_. Unfortunately, the quartette leaped up into the air, quickly dodging the incoming attack. As they lashed downwards, the orangette managed to block their swipes at the loss of her only weapon. Quickly, she ran forward, eyes on the burning wick that was rapidly reaching the end.

Luffy was panicking slightly now, trying to search for water from his vantage point within the cage when he heard a cry of pain. Surprised, he swung his face around to see Nami crouched in front of the cannon, her bare hands snuffing out the spark just inches away from igniting the cannon. Luffy's eyes widened as he stared at her gritted face, surprised that a girl who hated pirates so much would have risked her life for him. With a relieved sigh, Nami dropped her burned palms to her sides.

_I did it…_

"You just…" Luffy trailed off as he caught sight of the incoming pirates, prepared to slice Nami into a million pieces. "NAMI BEHIND YOU!"

"Time to die!" the four pirates shouted, bloodlust in their eyes as they heated their weapons.

Nami's body stiffened before it trembled, her head lowered and eyes sealed shut as she waited for the inevitable pain of steel swords slicing into her flesh, arms raised to futilely protect herself. Unnoticed by everyone, a pair of strong boots thumped on the ground accompanied by a dainty set of black flats towards the fight, the only sound the tinkling of a bell. Luffy's eyes widened with surprise and relief upon seeing two familiar figures.

A duo of loud smashing sounds echoed throughout the air, shocking everyone watching. Nami trembled violently before, after a few moments without pain, she hesitantly cracked open a cinnamon orb before both shot open in shock at the sight she saw. A man with shockingly green hair had deflected two of men, simply ramming the sheaths of two black clad swords into the faces of the pirates. He stood side-by-side with an amethyst pigtailed girl, her pale hands firmly holding open fans, connected painfully to the other pirates' noses. The defeated pirates slammed onto the ground, groaning as they relinquished their weapons.

"Hey now, it isn't very nice to gang up on a defenseless girl," the man remarked nonchalantly, his back still facing the relieved orangette, as was the girl.

"Muu," the purplette frowned, blankly staring at the crumpled forms of the pirates who had dared attack. "I hate circuses," she remarked dryly, noting their unusual outfits.

Even without the distinct hair, Luffy would have known those two anywhere by their malice filled tones. He grinned in delight at seeing his two crewmates arrive.

"Zoro! Takara!" he exclaimed cheerfully, shocking Nami, who stared at the swordsman and the girl. She could tell they had both perked up, her eyes almost seeing a pair of dog ears rise on the girl's head, but neither smiled as they twisted their heads to face Nami. She almost shivered upon seeing the blank façade of the mauve eyed girl while Zoro's face held a glare that made lesser men piss themselves in fear.

"Are you hurt?" he questioned callously.

"E-Eh?"

"I said, are you hurt?"

"Muu, is something wrong with your hearing?" Takara questioned, eyes hooded as she lifted a close fan to her lips.

"N-No, I'm fine, and my hearing's perfectly fine," Nami answered, stunned at the pair's words and seemingly lack of concern. She did however, a note of fondness in their eyes as Zoro and Takara to turn their heads to face Luffy, as well as a look of disbelief flashing onto the swordsman's face before it turned into a combination of relief, anger, and mild annoyance. The girl gave a slight sigh, not at all surprised to see her best friend locked up as she pressed _Sora_ to her trembling lips.

"Man, am I glad to see you two!" Luffy laughed happily form his spot in the cage, beaming up at his friends. "I wasn't sure if you two would find me. You guys mind letting me out?"

"What the hell are you doing in there?" Zoro questioned with a hint of a smile, slightly amused to see his captain still cheerful despite his position in his prison. "First you get snatched up by a giant bird, now you're in a cage."

"Muu, Monkey D. Luffy, how'd you end up in there?" Takara inquired her voice devoid of any emotion as she lowered the _tessen_ as Zoro's grip on his swords tightened. While relieved and amused to see that he was alright, they were nevertheless irritated at the fact Luffy had been locked up, no doubt due to him charging headfirst into any situation. Noting the use of his full name which Takara only used when he pissed her off, he gave a nervous chuckle.

"Shishishi, now that's an interesting story! It was fun all the same." Luffy sang cheerfully, nevertheless excited to see Zoro and Takara again. As the trio spoke to one another, the Buggy Pirates quivered at the mere mention of the man's name, recognizing both it and the iconic bandana tied tightly around his left bicep.

"D-Did he say Zoro?"

"As in Roronoa Zoro? The famous pirate hunter of the East Blue?"

Nami's eyes widened in shock and surprise. _These two…these are the crewmates he was talking about? The Pirate Hunter Zoro and some girl?! What's going on?_ Nami would have never expected that the famous bounty hunter was one of Luffy's crew members; it didn't make sense to the intelligent thief. Why would Zoro word under the command of a pirate, let alone a boy barely seventeen? And who was this girl with the fans, wielding them like daggers?

Zoro was getting irritated now, he didn't have the time to deal with this crap and, honestly, he didn't want to as he followed Takara as she padded towards the cage, ignoring the pirates that warily surrounding them as if they were nothing more than dirt underneath his boot. Barely three steps forward, he stopped due to a call from a certain clown pirate, pressing an arm out to make the girl pause as well.

"…So you're the Roronoa Zoro that I've heard so much about," he remarked dryly, his eyes appraising the swordsman before they slid over to the purplette, not too subtle about where he was looking either. He redirected his attention back to Zoro, grinning pleasantly. "If you're here for my head, you and your little partner have got quite the struggle before you."

"Nope, not interested," Zoro replied in a bored tone, although he had his narrowed gaze on Buggy, not at all amused at his eyeballing Takara. "I gave up pirate hunting. My crewmate and I are just here to pick up our captain."

"But I'm interested though. Killing you would certainly boost my reputation,  
the clown pirate remarked with great confidence, no doubt believing he could beat Zoro. Luffy frowned from his spot in the cage and Takara cocked her head to one side; Zoro wouldn't be beaten easily, they had seen him fight first hand.

"If you try, you die," the swordsman threatened, his voice filled with forewarning and his gaze alone could have killed a puppy.

"Muu, if he'd died so early, I would have put him down," Takara said callously, purple eyes blank and void of emotion, but the grip on Zoro's arm told him she was telling him to be careful before she stepped away, an aura of malicious intent flowing off of her.

Nami shivered at the dangerous aura as Zoro addressed Buggy. She was suddenly very grateful that the swordsman and the purple hued girl didn't know she was the reason why their captain was locked in a cage. She didn't want an ounce of that combined anger directed at herself.

The green haired man was credited as the Demon of East Blue, the ice in his glare and the pure anger he radiated only gave truth to the ruthless rumors that flew around the sea. For once, Nami had the feeling that the so-called rumors weren't far from the mark. And whoever this Takara was, she was no slouch either, given the way she still leaked a dangerous aura, her grip on her _tessen_ never relinquishing. Buggy, however, ignored the threat in Zoro's glare and snarl, drawing several daggers out from who knows where, four in between the fingers of his left hand while another was grasped in his right, a jesting smile on his red lips.

"Oh, is that so?" Buggy taunted, leading Zoro to simply sigh in annoyance.

"I warned him, but what the hell." With a nod to Takara, he lowered his sword from his shoulder. After a moment of watching with blank eyes, the girl shrugged before flitting over to Luffy's cage, easily recognizing the battle hungry look. Hopping up, the purple haired girl settled up on it with crossed legs, looking very much like a spectator at a sporting event while Luffy was the captive audience, who watched with interested eyes, flicking a _tessen_ out.

Buggy's crew, meanwhile, cheered on their captain, no doubt thinking he would easily win, despite Zoro's acclaimed skills and past. Buggy licked the edge of one of his blades with a deranged look as Zoro carefully set _Wado Ichimonji_ between his teeth, his hands grasping his other blades. Luffy, Takara, and Nami watched from the sidelines, all staring intently at the two fighters. Luffy and Takara, however, knew Zoro well enough to comprehend the fact his skill was far above this clown's. The boy was mildly disappointed that he couldn't see Zoro to fight to his full extent.

With a flourish, Takara leaned forward and jerked the tessen outwards, signifying a start to the fight. Zoro and Buggy faced each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. After several more tense moments, Buggy charged forward, impatient of waiting for the swordsman to attack, causing Zoro to smirk. It would appear all his waiting way about to pay off.

"Flashily die!" Before Buggy could lash out at him with his knives, Zoro had leapt from the ground like a gunshot, easily slicing straight through the pirate captain, cutting him in half, as well as separating his right arm and leg. Nami turned away from the gruesome sight with a cringe as what was left of Buggy the Pirate landed on the ground. Zoro sheathed his blades once he landed before he glanced behind his shoulder.

"He didn't even try to dodge?" he grumbled, disappointed at such an easy victory as he shot a glare at the downed pirate.

"Huh, what a weakling," Luffy noted. "Way to go Zoro!" he cheered, managing an awkward clap with his bound arms while Takara held up one side of the _tessen_, the kanji of _shōri_ (勝利) written in red ink in the white center. She then hopped off and turned her full attention to the trapped boy.

"Muu, why haven't you broken out yet? I know you too well," she remarked tapping one of the bars with the _tessen_.

Luffy stared at her for a moment before the light bulb went off. "Oh! It's strong rope." Takara only sighed, knowing it was pointless while Nami watched in shock.

"Incredible," she breathed softly before everyone's attentions were grabbed by the Buggy Pirates. Despite the fact that their captain was lying on the ground in literal pieces, they were laughing, like it was the world's greatest joke, smugly watching them.

Luffy blinked, confused. "What's with them?" He couldn't understand it, why would they laugh at the death of such an important of their crew?

"W-What's wrong with them? They're laughing, even though their captain was just killed!" Nami said in shock, disgust plain in her voice. Did pirates normally have such low regards on life? Takara frowned slightly behind _Shiai_. Something was wrong with this scene, she knew it as purple eyes scanned the area before she noticed something, or in this case, a lack of something. Eyes wide she shot forward, _Shiai _abandoned on the ground as she caught sight of Buggy's hand, independent of its body which surged forward with a dagger stabbing Zoro through the back. With a chocking noise of pain, Zoro dropped to one knee in utter pain. While the weapon had missed any of his vital organs, it had nevertheless created a horrible wound, judging by the blood that leaked down from his shirt and to his_ haramaki_, the blade piercing through his side.

"Muu!"

"ZORO!"

Luffy and Takara were horrified, the boy struggling against his bindings to try and assist his friend, black and purple eyes wide. The crew's sick laughter increased, almost loud enough to burst eardrums the way they howled. Nami turned around, shocked to see Buggy's severed hand, as well as the rest of his body that Zoro had cut off, moving about on their own will.

"Buggy's still alive?!" she asked in shock as the hand holding the dagger pulled back out of Zoro, earning a slight wince as he felt the smooth metal slide from his torn muscles, almost nicking his immortal liver.

"W-What the hell?!" he snapped, turning his head to watch Buggy stand up, slowly reattaching his severed limbs back to his body with an evil grin.

"The Bara-Bara no Mi, that's the name of the Devil Fruit that I ate. I'm a separation person and I can't be defeated by blades!" The deranged captain laughed with sick glee, doing a small victory dance as he rose up.

"He put his body back together?!" Nami said in shock as Takara flitted forward, undoing her tie with unsteady fingers as she reached Zoro. "I thought the Devil's Fruits were just a myth!"

"A splitting man? He's a monster!" Luffy shouted out, unaware of how hypocritical he sounded, coming from a rubberman. He didn't really care about what Nami had said, most people from East Blue had never and probably would never see a Devil Fruit.

"I'm losing my edge," Takara deadpanned miserably as she helped Zoro to his feet, her tie and collar removed and hastily tied to Zoro's wound in an attempt to stanch the blood flow.

"What do you mean?" he questioned with a pained glare. Who could have been able to predict something like that?

"Muu, no blood," she remarked, glancing downwards, causing Zoro to follow her trajectory, seeing pristine stone underfoot. With a soft curse, he realized that she was right; there had been none of the red liquid spilled from when he had sliced Buggy to pieces. Takara wasn't the only one losing their edge, the swordsman thought with a slight grimace.

Buggy laughed evilly as he turned his attention to Zoro. "I missed your vital organs, but that's still a pretty serious wound. This fight is over."

"That really caught me off-guard," the swordsman muttered, pressing his hand against the makeshift bandage, earning a nod of agreement from a blank faced Takara. The Buggy Pirates cheered hysterically for their captain, wishing he'd go ahead and kill the famed swordsman as he stepped forward with his raised blades. Takara let out a warning growl from the back of her throat as she stepped forward, _Arashi_ and _Sora_ open in her hands. Luffy glanced over to the panicking Nami before returning his attention back to Zoro and Takara. The swordsman was badly injured and while Takara was skilled, he wasn't sure if she could do much against him, her _tessen_ useless against such an opponent.

Enraged at the thought of his precious friends getting hurt, Luffy started shouting from his cage. "Attack someone from behind is cowardly you big nose!" he screamed, hoping to draw the clown's attention from his comrades.

He got his wish as Buggy stood stock still with wide eyes, everyone jerking back at the remark. The crews' faces had all dropped, looks of horror plain and sweat pouring like rivers down their foreheads in fear. Nami jerked her head around during the ensuring silence with a look of horror on her face. _That idiot! Of all the things to say!_

After a moment, the wrathful pirate captain turned his head to face the trapped boy. "Who…you…calling…A BIG NOSE?!" he screamed as he chucked a sharp dagger straight, still attacked to his hand, at the boy.

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted, trying to move and stop the dagger's aim but Takara forced him to stay still as she watched the trajectory.

"Muu, he'll be fine," she promised, just as Luffy's strong jaw snapped, clenching the dagger between his teeth snuggly with a grin. _As is if a tiny blade would kill him…_she thought with a slight sigh.

"Buggy! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Luffy sang from around the dagger in his teeth before he snapped the point off with only his teeth. As the hand reattached to the rest of the Chop-Chop man, Luffy spat the shards from his mouth.

"Gyahahahaha! You? Kick my ass?! Strong words for a little brat like yourself, but no, I'm afraid that the four of you are going to die here today by my own hands. GYAHAHAHAHA!"

Nami was horrified, aghast as the Buggy Pirates began to laugh sickly, believing that they were finished now. Meanwhile, Zoro was pissed off. If it wasn't for his current condition he'd have dealt with the overconfident clown again for underestimating him, Luffy, and Takara. Luffy, however, let out a huge laugh, practically bending his head at a ninety degrees backwards while purple eyes focused attention on him. While Buggy and his crew had stopped laughing, questioning if the boy had finally cracked, Takara knew that it was a signal.

"I refuse to die! Takara, take Zoro and run," the black eyed boy ordered.

"What?!" Zoro said shocked as the girl shot their captain a bland look with a twitching eyebrow, the swordsman questioning if he was insane. There was no way in hell he and Takara were going to run like dogs with tails between their legs and leave him behind. They had their pride, damnit!

"They came here to save you and you're telling them to run!? What are you?!" Nami questioned angrily. Luffy locked his eyes on his crew before he slid his stare to the side, gaze focused on something else. Suddenly, it hit Zoro like a ton of bricks, a grin to match Luffy's spreading from ear to ear while Takara linked an arm underneath Zoro, _Arashi _pressed to her lips to hide her own smile. Both had looks of understanding that only made Luffy's smirk widen, silently communicating their agreement to their captain.

"Roger that, captain," the swordsman said with a shit-eating grin while a purple head bobbed with a "Muu."

Nami's face fell ever farther, utterly baffled by their change and ready to collapse. _One minute they're refusing, now they're ready to run. What's wrong with these pirates?! This is why I hate them!_

Buggy lunged towards Zoro and Takara, prepared to slice them down before he focused on their so-called captain. "Idiots! You can't escape!" He promptly began to lash out them with his daggers, a bloodthirsty expression on his face. The swordsman was about to deflect when Takara shoved him slightly out of the way, thrusting _Sora _and _Arashi _to meet the older man's attacks. She shoved, jerked, and dodged each and every strike Buggy sent her way, an indifferent look on her face. He only laughed at her before he suddenly caught sight of a darkly grinning Zoro, slicing directly at him.

Once Buggy's torso was separated from the rest of his body, Takara and Zoro shot forward, merely a blur of purple, followed by a slower shot of green, streaking forward towards the cannon pointing at Luffy. Buggy laughed evilly as he reconnected his body, awaiting their attacks. "Fools! Your sharp weapons will have no effect on me!"

No reply from the duo as they raced forward, thus further enraging the clown as he jerked his head around to glare at them. "HEY! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" he shouted. Moving as one, Zoro and Takara caught hold of the cannon, the swordsman giving the metal monstrosity a shove upwards while Takara rammed _Fuu_ into it, their combined strength easily causing the heavy, cast iron mass to jerk 180 degrees, directing its black maul into the faces of the would-be attackers.

_What the hell?! Is this kid's entire crew made up of monsters?!_ Nami couldn't help but question upon seeing the monstrous strength of both the swordsman and the purplette. The gathered Buggy Pirates and their captain began to panic hysterically when they realized just what the two teens were planning; an evil smirk spread across Zoro's face while Takara's narrowed eyes spoke volumes.

"AAAHH! It still has a Buggy Ball in it!"

"Are you insane?!"

Zoro couldn't reply as he collapsed on the ground, his injury aggravated from his exertion, yet he nevertheless directed a pissed off glare at the enemies, freezing them in their tracks, unable to move with those terrifying eyes locked on them: purple eyes colder than ice and narrowed black burning with the fires of hell. He managed to glance at Nami, who had run over in her concern.

"Oi, light it," he ordered sharply. She stared at him shock before she realized the plan as well. Without another word, she snatched up the discarded box of matches and made her way to the wick as Takara busied herself with the man's wound. Nevertheless, she did glare angrily at the Buggy Pirates.

"Every last one of you," Takara said, eyes like polished amethyst gems, but twice as cold. A cruel smirk was on her lips, a red gleam entering her eyes. "Go die and rot in Hell please."

"Same from me," the swordsman replied, the grin of the devil stretching ear to ear across his face, despite his pain.

With that, Nami pressed the fiery match to the wick, lighting it up immediately. There was very little left of the fuse from when she had managed to stop it. Luffy grinned in delight while Nami clapped her hands to her ears, waiting the explosion. Zoro was gritting his teeth at the pain as Takara pressed her hand against his wound, eyes focused on the scene before her as the enemy pirates panicked. The cannon went off with a deafening explosion, obliterating the side of the room and a choking smoke filled the area. Hysterical screaming sounded immediately, covering the area with its choking clouds, shielding everything from view.

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_Luffy: Hey Zoro, you okay?_

_Takara: Muu, you took a bad hit._

_Zoro: Don't worry about it, I'm better now._

_Luffy: Great!_

_Takara: Liar, you're blood's still leaking._

_Nami: What's wrong with you?! You can't possibly be better this fast!_

_Luffy: Really?_

_Nami: W-What's that?_

_Takara: Muu, doggy._

_Luffy: Oh, it's a just a dog._

_Nami: I'm not referring to that!_

_Takara: Muu, kitty._

_Luffy: Ah! You mean that. Looks like there's a polar bear on that lion._

_Nami: They followed you guys here!_

_Luffy: Next chapter of One Piece: True Treasure. Coulrophobia II: Luffy and Takara, the Beast Breakers! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!_

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Schedule's been crazy and it'll only get worse in two weeks. One word that sums up the bane of my existence: School. I will try and update every two weeks and hopefully I'll have the next chapter done by next Sunday. Cheers!

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_Bō Staff_-A tall and long staff weapon that is used in Japanese martial arts, especially _bōjutsu_. Nami's is split into three pieces that she can reattach when needed.

_Wado Ichimonji_- Zoro's iconic white katana, which falls under the _daito_, or 'long sword', category. A blade with a past, Zoro typically places it in his mouth when using _Santoryu_. When using _Ittoryu_, Zoro usually utilizes this blade.

_Shiai_-A _tessen_ Takara owns, which typically sees use when watching a match or a contest. Meaning 'Match', she will hold it up, closed, at the start of a bout if she isn't directly involved with something else and will display one of two sides depending on the outcome. One side is pure white with the kanji for victory, _shōri_ (勝利) written in red which is shown when an ally or companion wins. The other side is black with defeat, _haiboku _(敗北), printed in red as well, used to represent loss. It'll hardly make much of an appearance, save for comical situations or omakes, although she may use it in battle as well.

_Zoro's liver_- a joke between my friends and myself is that Zoro must have an iron cast liver since he's yet to collapse from alcohol poisoning.

_Bara Bara no Mi_- The Devil Fruit that Buggy the Clown ate, which allows him to separate any part of his body, making sword fighting pointless against him. The word 'bara' means rose, but when combined, 'bara bara' translates roughly to 'break apart'.

~~風~~


	6. Coulrophobia II: Beast Breakers

**One Piece: True Treasure**

Summary: The ever blowing wind is a contradiction, driving us both forwards towards our destination, but it can also guide us home. What changes can occur for one straw hat-wearing youth if his childhood friend accompanied him on his journey to be King of the Pirates? One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder as they set sail for the One Piece. One thing's for sure, it'll be a lot winder. OC, follows anime. OCx?

Wow! Over a thousand viewers! *Twirls around ecstatically* Anyways, thanks for liking and review, as well as reading this story folks! ADDBaby and ZabuzasGirl, the wait has ended, sorry for not doing it even faster. Thanks again Rosy Fire, you're quickly becoming Takara's favorite reviewer/reader and hopefully you'll enjoy the action in this chapter, as well as the next! Sorry about disappointing you, amerdism, but Takara's shout of 'kaze-kaze' is due to Luffy, since he opens up just about every attack with 'gumo-gumo', it's a habit. And yes, "Muu" is Takara's verbal tic/catch phrase.

There will be crossovers with other animes later on. And remember, One Piece belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda and any future anime references belong to the companies that created them. No profit is being made off of this Fanfiction, please support the official releases.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE AT BOTTOM! PLEASE READ IT!

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Chapter 6: Coulrophobia II: Luffy and Takara, the Beast Breakers!

_The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them…Stanley Coren._

~~風~~

_Long ago, there was a great man, a Pirate King, who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. Known as Gold Roger by both friend and foe alike, he was the fiercest and most respected Pirate that ever did sail the seas. He had it all, wealth, fame, power. He had conquered the oceans and obtained the greatest treasure of them all…the One Piece._

_Alas, his fame, infamy, and life were all cut short when the elusive Pirate was finally captured by Marines. At his execution, before they lobbed off his head in public, his last words managed to inflame the passions of many a man that called for them to take up the Jolly Roger themselves, driving them to the sea._

"_You want my treasure, you can have it, I left it all together in one place…The One Piece! Now all you have to do is find it!"_

_And to this day, every Pirate that takes to sea from any corner of the world weighs anchor and sets sail towards the Grand Line in hope of discovering the One Piece to become the next King of the Pirates, setting the world into the Great Pirate Age._

~~風~~

(The first opening song **We Are **plays.)

~~風~~

The massive burst of sickly yellow light shot out of the cannon, carving a long and deep gouge in the stone ceiling of the bar, seemingly obliterating the Buggy Pirates. Above the quartette's heads, the Jolly Roger whipped in the turbulence before it was consumed by flames. After the dust cleared, it revealed that the enemy had been simply knocked unconscious, rather burnt and crispy, but far from dead. Noticing this, Zoro gave a pained grunt, realizing they should make their getaway while they had a chance. He gave a shove to Takara's soft hands to lurch to his feet, heading for Luffy's cage. Straining his muscles and ignoring the stabbing pain in his side, the swordsman managed to heft the cage into the air, setting it on his shoulder despite the monstrous weight.

With a staggering step, Zoro began to walk as droplets of blood splattered on the blue tiled roof, swiftly followed by Takara before a more hesitant, bewildered Nami followed, unsure about what to do now, managing to keep pace with the purplette. Glancing at her to spy her serious expression, the orange haired girl decided to start a conversation.

"D-Don't you think you went a little…overboard?" Nami questioned, unsure if she should even be talking. Takara shot her a deadpanned look, her face already back to her blank expression.

"Muu, their captain wanted to chop us into dog food and locked Luffy in a cage. No sympathy," she replied simply, arms crossed over her chest. For a moment, Nami could have sworn she had seen curled horns and a devil's tail sprouting from the teenager.

"Oi, Zoro," Luffy said, frowning slightly within his cage as he looked down at his swordsman, watching more blood leak out from the long, deep cut underneath his shirt, a trail of the red liquid behind them. "You're injured!"

"Just shut up and sit tight. I'm doing this my way" the green haired man snapped irritably before he gritted his teeth in pain, catching the girls' attentions. Nami noticed a sudden wind a moment before she realized Takara had disappeared, the purple haired girl ending up next to Zoro. She shot him an irritable glare, poking a small hand at his wound. He gave an unmanly yelp, almost dropping the cage from his back. "Wh-What the hell Takara?" he questioned with a grimace who merely "Muu"-ed with a stony glare. Zoro was about ready to snap at her before he caught sight of Takara's jerking nod at the cage before directing her gaze to the ground. After a moment, Zoro reluctantly set Luffy's cage down, wincing silently as Takara pulled out _Arashi _and _Sora _in one smooth motion. With a glare at the offending prison, she struck, slashing at the metal bars so quickly that neither Nami nor Zoro could track the movements.

"Kaze-Kaze _Konagona ni Kaze_."

She casually snapped the _tessen_ closed, tucking them away and stared at the apparently intact bars. After a moment, the barrier collapsed in a series of pieces, scattering across the cobblestone as the rope binding Luffy fell away, much to the shock of the older teens. Even parts of the top of the cage were crushed, sending fragments into the air at the powerful strikes. Luffy, however, simply climbed out of the destroyed cage with a cheerful smile, dusting debris off of his clothes.

"Whoo! Thanks Kara!" the straw hat boy said, rubbing his sore arms as he stretched. Quickly, Zoro shook off his surprise as Takara "Muu"-ed. Still, he shot the girl a look that clearly read 'We're talking about this later' as the three continued on their way, jumping off the roof onto the cobblestone road, leaving Nami behind, lost in her thoughts.

_W-What's with these guys?! _Nami questioned in stunned shock, not expecting either of these strangers to help the trapped boy. The man was heavily wounded, and yet he had been risking his life as he tried to drag the cage away from the Buggy Pirates. "Why are they so determined?" she wondered before, with a slight nod, she set off as well, equally determined to know more about these confusing pirates.

~~風~~

By the time the Buggy Pirates had awoken from their pain filled, forced slumber, Luffy and the gang were long gone. Buggy was grimacing in pain, carefully propped up on his chair in such a way to avoid further agony. While everyone had been lucky to have escaped the jaws of death, he was seething over the fact he had nearly been killed by his own cannon, along with the fact the infamous pirate hunter Zoro had humiliated him with the purple girl and Nami, that witch, had betrayed him! Him! The great and powerful Captain Buggy the Clown! The idiot, straw hat boy was just as guilty as the rest of them, and he swore vengeance

"Those four think they can mock me?! Screw that, I consider this defiance and attack on my crew as a declaration of war against me," he snarled angrily as he watched the smoke billowing around him, already planning a flashly death for the gang. As he watched the grey cloud waver in the air, a massive paw the size of a dinner platter appeared before the evil captain, who smirked maliciously, recognizing who, or rather what, had arrived. "Ah, there you Mohji, glad to see your back up."

The sooty air finally cleared away, revealing an enormous lion with a purple mane, despite its strangely greenish-colored fur, narrowed red eyes filled with irritation, a snarl leaking from its lips. Sitting atop his back, just behind the purple locks, had to be one of the most bizarrely garbed men, even more so then his captain. His white hair was styled to resemble a teddy bear with little nubs resembling ears, the course hair actually encircling his head, wrapping around his chin to create a short beard, stubble around his mouth. He wore cobalt blue pants with a yellow sash around his waist and a strange vest seemingly made up of fur that only went halfway down his chest. This was none other than Beast Tamer Mohji, first mate of the Buggy Pirates.

"Would you mind if I take Roronoa Zoro's head?" he asked gruffly.

Buggy chuckled evilly. "Be my guest."

~~風~~

Meanwhile with the protagonists, Luffy led the way down the streets of Orange Town, closely followed by his two companions. Zoro, however, was staggering slightly, his eyes foggy with pain as he kept a hand clasped against his wound. Once the captain realized his swordsman had slowed down, Luffy turned around to check up on him, concern plain in his gaze as Takara peeked over the top of her fan.

"Oi, Zoro, you need a break?" Luffy questioned with a small amount of worry in his voice. Yes, he trusted the green haired man greatly already and knew of his skills, but massive blood loss was something few people could simply brush off.

"Muu, you're dead on your feet," the pigtailed girl agreed, earning a narrowed, half-hearted glare from the older man, who was standing slightly hunched over, panting heavily. Before he could retort angrily at her, he suddenly pitched forward, his legs unable to hold up his weight any longer. The sound startled Luffy, who immediately hurried to his crewmate's side as Takara followed suit, the argument forgotten.

"Nee, Zoro, I don't think you're okay," the black haired boy said innocently, resting a reassuring hand on a broad shoulder as Zoro grumbled something akin to 'ya think' under his breath. Takara could only sigh at the pigheaded stubbornness of the male species again from her spot, kneeling next to the man.

"Muu," she muttered, purple eyes narrowed slightly before she dug a pale hand through her pocket looking for the small container of ointment. A slight frown bubbled up onto her face as her hand shifted to the other pocket, her movements becoming more and more frantic as she searched, only for both of them to turn up empty.

_Muu! But I had it-_Suddenly recalling the terrible shockwaves that the first Buggy Ball had created and the turmoil that it had wreaked, it became apparent that she had lost the container in the chaos. If not then, then most certainly during the confrontation with Buggy and his crew. She hesitantly lowered her hands and looked at Zoro. "Muu, I lost my ointment, tough it out _Baka tenshi_," she said, with a dismissive look, yet, there was as hesitant, almost apologetic light in those amethyst orbs before she

Luffy stared wide eyed at the girl before he began to panic. "Ah no! Zoro's gonna bleed out and die~" he cried frantically, comically pulling on the sides of his hat, horrified at the thought of losing his new friend. What kind of captain was he if his swordsman died? While not visibly affected, Takara's shaking hand was evidence of her own panicking, the girl almost catatonic as bloodied bodies and tiny children's screams seeped into her thoughts like poison.

However, before Luffy could start running around like a chicken with its head cut off or Takara end up in a curled ball, calloused hands suddenly clasped at their shoulders, bringing their attention back to the wounded man. He leveled a thick, irritated glare at the two of them.

"Don't worry," he grunted. "I not about to die you idiots. I'll sleep it off and be back on my feet by tomorrow." Unknown to the pair of teens, Zoro had suffered from similar wounds in the past, although this one was particularly bad. Still, he wasn't about to let this little scratch take him out.

Luffy blinked before he immediately perked up, his black eyes shining with relief while Takara sent a blank glance at him, panic slowly dying down. "Really?!" the straw hat questioned eagerly, silently doubting him despite his hope.

"Tsk, this is barely a nick," Zoro said, dismissively, trying to wave aside their concern, only for him to cough and convulse a bit, more blood leaking out from his wound, stunning Luffy and Takara slightly. Upon seeing their freaked out expressions, the green haired man managed a weak, halfhearted moan as he eyes rolled in their sockets. "I need blood."

"Muu, what are you, a vampire?" Takara questioned with a blank face. Zoro and Luffy turned their heads to face her, almost breaking their necks as they stared at her in silence. That was until Luffy threw his head and laughed while Zoro stared in shock at the girl, before a rakish grin developed on his face. Had Takara, the cold and distant girl…actually cracked a joke?

"Are you all idiots?!" a sudden shout caught everyone's attention, breaking a lighthearted moment as they turned to spy the orange haired girl making her way forward.

"Oi, Luffy, who's that woman?" Zoro grunted, ignoring his pain as Takara cocked her head at Nami. Both could vaguely recall her from the fight with Buggy, vaguely since they had more pressing concerns at the time than to wonder who the orangette was.

"Oh yeah, that's Nami. She's our navigator!" the straw hat boy proclaimed cheerfully, excitedly pouncing onto Takara's shoulders and shaking her happily

The orangette sniffed angrily, already peeved as she crossed her arms. "Who says? I've already told you kid-I _hate _pirates!" she snapped, spitting the last word out like it was a rotten peach.

"Ah, but I say so!" Luffy said childishly with a smile as he stopped shaking Takara, as though that was all it took for him to prove he was right. That made the green haired man smirk. "Yeah, Luffy says so," he agreed in amusement as Takara nodded her own acquittal, her eyes dizzy from the constant jostling from her captain and friend.

Nami actually stamped her foot in anger before giving an annoyed huff. "You are all impossible!" She turned her head to the side, as though in an attempt to shun them before she blinked in surprise. "What's with the dog?"

Confused, Luffy, Zoro, and Takara turned their heads to follow Nami's gaze, all having the feeling that they were being watched, only to have varying reactions upon seeing the canine, Luffy and Zoro blinked while Takara's eyes were covered with bangs. It was indeed a dog, sitting right in front of a storefront, whose sign read 'Pet store'. It had white fur, dirtied by soot with beady black eyes, its pink tongue sticking out of its mouth. The dog was more like a statue or a stuffed toy rather than an animal, as it had yet to move upon the group's arrival. In fact, all of them were surprised to see the dog, since they hadn't noticed it until this point.

"Dog!" Luffy said cheerfully, eagerly moving forward to sit directly in front of the canine, silently studying it. Black met black as the two stared at one another, as though locked in a contest to see who would look away first. Luffy made silly faces at the dog, which didn't react at all. After a moment, Luffy frowned. "Maybe it's dead," he wondered softly before he turned his head to the green haired man, who had by now propped himself up against the awning of the shop.

"Don't know, don't care," Zoro grumbled, trying his best to not aggravate his injuries further. Considering the situation, they really didn't have the time to worry about a little mutt, what with the enemy pirates no doubt preparing to attack once they recovered.

"Doggy," Takara muttered distantly, her eyes shadowed by her purple bangs as she drew closer to the canine. All was silent before the helmswoman unexpectantly glomped the animal and began to furiously pet it, causing the dog to bark happily breaking free of its blank facade, pleased with the attention being lavished upon him by the pretty girl. "Doggy, doggy, doggy," she cooed softly as she rubbed her cheek against furry ones, her innocent expression surprising Zoro and Nami, the barest hint of a smile pulling on her lips. Luffy only laughed happily, amused to see Takara act so out of character.

"Kara loves cute things," the boy explained as the scruffy dog lapped his tongue against Takara's cheeks, earning a silent coo and a tickle behind the ear in return as the pigtailed girl snuggled him to her chest. Nami's jaw was at her collarbone now, stunned to see the female pirate who had fought against Buggy act like a giggling teen. Zoro watched for a minute before he sighed, leaning back, silently accepting the insanity he had landed in. After all he had learned previously about this girl, this really shouldn't surprise him. Sadly, this wasn't the last time Takara would knock a stunned reaction from him.

"HEY YOU DAMNED PIRATES! STOP ATTACKING POOR CHOUCHOU!" A sudden voice shouted, drawing Luffy and Nami's attention while the dog barked in greeting, purple eyes glancing up. The man's appearance made the orangette gape while Luffy blinked slowly, Takara's eyes blank as she held the dog, his scruffy head hiding her mouth from view. He was an elderly looking man, his curly grey hair styled in a peculiar fashion, two lumps of the locks on either side while the third was up front. He wore dark green pants and a yellow checkered shirt underneath a brown leather chest plate with matching gauntlets on his hands, a pair of circular glasses perked on his nose.

"ChouChou?" Takara questioned softly, looking down at the dog in her arms, who barked merrily, pleased to recognize the older man who fed him. Luffy only threw his head back and laughed, poking the dog's cheek lightly.

"Naw, we aren't hurting him. He's a nice-"

Luffy didn't have the chance to finish as the now irritated canine latched onto the straw hat's finger, his sharp teeth digging in. With a yelp of panic and pain, Luffy jerked back, rubbing his wounded digit, scowling at the dog who growled in return, both obviously disliking the other now. Takara sighed, squeezing ChouChou tighter to calm him down.

The man, however blinked before sighed in relief, relaxing his stance slightly. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were part of that nasty Buggy Pirates crew," he apologized as he walked forwards towards their little group.

"Who are you, old man?" Zoro questioned, a wary glare in his eyes although he didn't really feel that concerned about the older man.

The man frowned down at him, peeved at those discourteous words. "Old man? I'm the Mayor of this town here on this lovely town. Name's Boodle," he expressed with an annoyed huff before he caught sight of the blood dripping down onto the cobblestone and followed the source. "Oh my, that's quite a bad injury," he remarked, crouching down next to the green haired man to study the wound. "What happened? Did you four get attacked by Buggy and his crew? Looks like you need a doctor."

Zoro promptly leveled an angry glare at the old man, a dark aura leaking from his frame as he snapped that he did not need medical attention. Boodle, however, wasn't intimidated by the swordsman and had just as strong a will at Zoro, leading to a verbal match and a battle of wills while Luffy, Takara, and Nami watched, the orangette stunned at the man's stupidity. In the end, they reached an agreement and Boodle had taken the injured teen into his house to patch himself up.

He returned several minutes late, wiping his slightly bloodied hands off with a cloth to find the rest of the gang at the pet shop. Takara and Luffy sat on the stoop, ChouChou relaxing between the pair while Nami leaned against a wall. While she appeared indifferent to the former bounty hunter's fate, she wasn't that coldhearted and she was worried about how the other teens would react. The orangette had no idea how close they were, but they obviously had some sort of past together, meaning it would get ugly if something terrible happened to the swordsman. Luffy seemed alright, talking endlessly to the pigtailed girl, who merely nodded and petted the mutt, but Nami could see the concerned air the two had as Boodle neared them.

"How's Zoro?" the black eyed boy questioned worriedly as Takara stared up at the mayor dispassionately, her hands resting on _Fuu_ which was resting on her lap.

Boodle gave a sigh of irritation, annoyed with how the man had reacted earlier. "I offered to take him to a doctor at the evacuation sight, but he said all he needed was some rest and he went to sleep after I wrapped the wound," he explained, shaking his head in exasperation. Inside Boodle's house, Zoro was already snoring away on a bed of clean sheets, looking as though not even a cannon ball would wake him up, limbs spread out haphazardly around him without a care.

Outside, Takara shook her head as well, annoyed with the swordsman's foolishness, wounds like that weren't healed up so easily, as Luffy sighed in relief to know his friend was alright. ChouChou let out a yawn before shaking his head to ease his tiredness away. Nami couldn't help but bend down and caress his head, ignorant of his minor glare before it melted away as Takara rubbed him behind the ears.

"So this dog's name is ChouChou," the orangette noted, phrasing more like a question rather than a statement.

"Ne, why's he just sitting here all by himself?" Luffy asked.

"He's guarding the store," Boodle said, a solemn look on his face. Nami and Luffy glanced up at him, confusion plain on their feature while Takara "Muu"-ed with a cocked head. They followed the old man's gaze towards the tastefully made white building with green trim, a large sign above reading 'Pet Food' with a smaller sign, written in red, hanging from the door said closed. It was only one story, yet it had a wonderful air about it, like it was just the right place to call home rather than a shop.

"A pet food store?" Nami wondered aloud.

"That's right. The man who used to run this store was a very close friend of mine," the poodle haircut man continued with a sad sigh. He walked past the trio and ChouChou, who merely sat on his haunches as he allowed the man to continue on as the mayor climbed up the small stairs to the porch. Using the key attached to his belt, Boodle unlocked the door and entered, allowing Luffy and Takara to catch a brief glimpse of the inside, chock full of pet food and beautifully painted in a simplistic way that matched the town. After a few moments, Boodle returned with a bowl aloft in his hands, filled to the brim with dry kibble.

"Here you go," he said to ChouChou, setting the bowl onto the ground, rustling the contents slightly. Without further prompting, the scruffy dog began to tuck in, chewing contently on his food. "I come here to feed ChouChou in my friend's place."

"In his place?" Nami questioned, slightly confused. Had the man abandoned his dog when the pirates arrived? Takara, however, gleamed a pained look in both ChouChou and Boodle's eyes as she ducked her head, an understanding upon her.

"Hm. My friend passed away three months ago due to an illness he had been fighting with for quite some time," Boodle explained, sighing as stood up and went to close the door to the pet shop carefully locking it behind him.

The listening audience was stunned into silence, Takara and Luffy watching ChouChou sadly. Nami was bewildered, stunned that a dog would stay for so long alone. "You mean that this dog's has been staying here for so long waiting for his master to return?"

"That's what everyone thinks," Boodle said, sitting down on the steps near Luffy and Takara, the pair continuing to keep their onyx and amethyst eyes locked onto the canine. The older man withdrew a pipe and lit it up, giving a taking a deep puff and exhaling slowly, the melancholy feelings brought by recalling his friend's death and ChouChou's situation were always calmed with a quick smoke of tobacco, before continuing. "Personally, I have to disagree. ChouChou's a very smart dog, he's probably known for quite some time that his master is never coming back." He took another drag of his pipe as the scruffy, loyal dog licked the last scraps from his bowl.

"Then…why does he stay with the store?" Nami asked in confusion. Even after his master had been dead for so long, why did ChouChou remain outside this store as though nothing would move him from this spot? What remaining ties did this store have for him? Luffy said nothing, staring mournfully at the dog as he sat tall, he and Takara having a complete understanding of why the canine stayed guard.

"Because ChouChou still has a connection to this shop, it's his treasure now," Boodle explained taking another drag from his pipe before releasing a cloud of smoke, staining the air with the smell of tobacco. "His master left this shop for him to guard and it's all ChouChou has to remember him by, the place is full of memories of their life together. Actually, ever since his master died, I kept trying to take him to a new home and since the pirate showed up I've tried to evacuate him, but he always refuses to budge. He just doesn't want to leave his home."

Boodle inhaled deeply following his explanation, hoping to relax his nerves as the gang allowed his words to sink in, none of them saying a word. It was a story that tugged painfully at their hearts as they watched the brave, loyal dog as he finished his meal before returning to bowl to Boodle to await the next feeding. All of them knew that feeling of stubbornness, not wanting to abandon what they deemed important, even if it had no material value, it was the memories that made it truly irreplaceable. Luffy was slumped against a post, his straw hat covering his eyes in darkness, one hand clasped lightly on his material precious treasure, the other holding onto his other treasure's hand. In return, Takara's grip on Luffy tightened, her hand stroking over one bell securing purple locks, her eyes betraying her blank façade as Nami watched ChouChou, her fists trembling.

After a few more moments of silence, in which the silence became almost overpowering, the ground gave a sudden tremble, causing the empty bowl to clatter about. It was as if the small island was suffering from an earthquake, yet Orange Island was nowhere near a fault line. A thunderous roar shattered the quite, the sound of which could have been heard from miles around. While both Boodle and Nami jerked their heads around rapidly to try and track the source, Luffy, Takara, and ChouChou remained as they were, their movements neither jerky nor panicky. They merely lifted their heads up, eyes trained on a distant shape.

"What the hell was that?!" Nami shouted, leaping to her feet as a clattering sound echoed from nearby, the noise only increasing with every passing second.

Boodle panicked, immediately knowing who was the cause of the noise and the inevitable destruction that was sure to come. There was only one uniquely haired man that could create this level of noise. "IT'S HIM! IT'S BEAST TAMER MOHJI! RUN!" He shouted, darting off around a corner at the end of the street, leaving the gang stunned and horrified (well at least Nami).

"What the! COME BACK!" she screamed, running off after him, leaving Luffy and Takara behind with ChouChou standing guard. Luffy remained leaning against the post, his legs in his traditional crossed position, the soles of his feet touching as he gently removed his hand from the pigtailed girl's grip as she leaned back her arm moving to cover her purple eyes with a sigh.

"Something's coming. You gonna fight ChouChou?" Luffy questioned, looking at the canine. The dog barked in agreement while Takara sighed before saying, "Don't slow us down," in a strict tone, earning another bark in recognition making Luffy grin as the teenage girl pressed _Sora_ to her lips to hide her smirk. It was official now, ChouChou was the bravest dog they had ever and would ever meet, ready to face the unknown to protect his home. A sudden shadow blocked the sun above them, causing the pair to twist their heads back to see what obstructed the light- a very large, strangely colored lion and an even more strangely dressed man with what looked like a white teddy bear around his head towering over them.

"AH, I see that your friends have abandoned you two, how sad," he said with a smirk, leering down at the straw hat and sailor suit girl. "Especially after you had just gotten away."

"Muu, who are you?" she questioned with a bored look while Luffy stared up at the man with curiosity, neither at all afraid of him.

"I'm known as Beast Tamer Mohji, the first mate of the Buggy Pirates," he replied proudly, his chest puffing out with another smirk. Onyx and amethyst orbs continued to stare at him, Luffy blinking comically before he started to speak again.

"Whoa, that's a weird animal suit you got there."

"Muu, like a teddy bear."

"That's rude! This is not a costume, this is my god given, manly hair!" He shouted angrily with narrowed eyes and burrowed, bushy brows, gesturing to his hairstyle, insulted at such a blunt comment from two teens.

"That's even weirder," Luffy said with a raised eyebrow, a note of disbelief in his voice. Takara nodded softly with a "Muu", her eyes slightly questioning over the man's strange outfit. She knew clowns dressed funny, but this certainly took the cake.

"You two are awfully cheeky for a pair of brats when there's a lion before you," he countered with a huff of anger that dissolved into a prideful smirk. "You'll both learn to fear me soon enough. I'm Beast Tamer Mohji." He caught sight of a growling ChouChou, the dog crouched down on the ground as he attempted to protect his treasure. Not at all intimidated, Mohji hopped of the lion's back and made his way confidently forward in his bizarre white furred shoes. "There is no animal in this world I cannot tame. Observe!" he ordered as he bent down to ChouChou's level, his hand extended.

"Shake!"

Curious, Luffy and Takara watched to see if the man really did have a gift for controlling animals. For a moment, it seemed as though ChouChou was going to ignore the weirdly dressed man. Instead, his sharp fangs sunk into the man's offered hand. With a girly scream of pain, Mohji reared back and flailed about, his arm waving like a windmill as he tried to shake the dog off. This made the canine's teeth to dig in harder, another unmanly shout exiting the bear-man. Luffy threw back his head and laughed, hands clasped to his aching belly while Takara watched with a deadpanned expression, a sweat drop making its way down the side of her head.

"Muu, ladies and gentlemen, meet the world's _greatest_ beast tamer," she remarked sarcastically, eyes a dull purple as Mohji finally managed to free his limb from ChouChou's jaws of steel before leaping back to rest on his lion's back, trying to salvage what little pride he had left by pretending that nothing had ever occurred.

"I don't have time to deal with worthless shit like you. Tell me boy, girl, where is Roronoa Zoro? I'm not here to kill you, but I will unless I get what I want!" he threatened with a glare. Instantly, Luffy sobered and leveled a frown at the older man while Takara shot him a pointed glare.

"Fat chance, teddy bear!" he shouted with a tongue sticking out of his mouth, standing up with Takara to cross his arms across his chest. The pigtailed girl hefted the closed _Fuu_ dangerously, obviously asking for a fight before she shot a condescending look at the so-called beast tamer. Mohji ground his teeth together in anger, unamused by the determined looks he received from the younger pair.

"RICHIE ATTACK!" he ordered. Without further prompting, the titanic lion leaped forward, his claws fully extended as he struck at the pair. Takara jerked her massive _tessen_ to the side, defecting the devastating blow and part of the sidewalk was utterly destroyed while Luffy leaped sideways, laughing eagerly at the chance of a fight. Unfortunately, this left the boy wide open for another attack, which Mohji saw instantly. With a silent command, Richie's attention was refocused on the straw hat, swiping Takara aside onto the ground before pouncing. Unable to move quickly enough, Luffy was knocked back, practically flying through the air to crash into a row of houses. Takara instantly jerked her body around, trying to follow her friend's trajectory, unable to fight down the concern for her dear friend. The king of beast struck again, however, sending the girl smacking into another series of houses, _Fuu_ clattering to the ground in her wake.

Mohji gave a self-satisfied smirk, pleased with the results as the dust died down and nothing moved from either sight of destruction, believing to have killed the two of them. After all, no normal person could survive that without grievous injuries. He wasn't a fan of hurting girls, but he had given them both ample warning before striking. It was their own fault really.

"Good work Richie," he said, patting his lion's head gently. "Now, let's go find Zoro! Once we defeat him, it will greatly increase our fame! Then we'll go back to report to Captain Buggy."

The lion yawned and began to turn around to resume their search, but he froze upon seeing the Pet Food Store that ChouChou stood in front of, his stomach rumbling hungrily.

"What's wrong?" Mohji questioned to his friend before following the lion's line of sight to spy the shop. He sighed, already used to Richie's massive appetite that refused to be satiated. "A pet food store? Well, go on ahead, but make it quick so we can continue."

Richie roared in agreement and took an eager step towards the building, drooling as he thought of the delicious food that was no doubt inside. ChouChou, however, stepped directly in front of the lion's path, barking and growling angrily at the gluttonous feline that dared to attack his treasured place, trying to drive him away. Mohji's eyes narrowed at the little dog that had bitten his hand, the other curling around the wound as he snorted at the mutt's pitiful attempt at defense.

"Please, don't tell me this pathetic mutt really thinks he can protect this worthless store."

ChouChou growled at that remark.

~~風~~

Luffy had slammed into at least three buildings, the wooden structures managing to slow down his movement enough for his unexpected ride to end in a small alley, debris raining down upon him. Timber plummeted to the ground and he narrowly missed getting hit on his head by an anchor of all things, an upturned basket of oranges by his side. He frowned slightly as he steadied his hat as he sighed. "Geeze, that caught me off guard! I think the nasty cat hit Kara too. She'll be pissed," he said with a slight chuckle.

Already he could imagine the normally stoic purplette leaking an aura of death with shaded eyes, _Fuu_ opened and ready for slicing. With a grin, he stood up and dusted himself off his hand forming a fist, eager to join Takara in a beat down. "Yosh! Now it's time to find Kara and teach for Buggy Pirates! Then we'll convince Nami to become our navigator! Shishishi!"

A sudden sound caught his attention, two sets of footsteps clattering quickly across the ground. Luffy glanced up to see Nami and Boodle rounding the corner, their expressions of concern turning to shock as they saw him standing upright.

"How did you survive that attack?!" the orange haired girl shouted in pure surprise and mild anger, wishing that her life could have been easier and the world had one less pirate to deal with. Still, what kind of boy could manage to drag himself out of a destroyed building after being chucking into said house?

"You're alive! Are you alight? You're not hurt are you?" Boodle questioned quickly, stepping in front of Nami to scan Luffy worriedly. He sighed in relief to find the boy wasn't harmed, although he was surprised to not find a single scratch on him, despite his perilous situation. "We need to find your friend at once!" he shouted, ready to run off before Luffy grasped his shoulder.

"Nah, Takara's fine," he promised, glancing upwards when a small sound reached his ears. Following the boy's line of sight, Nami and Boodle's jaw dropped upon seeing the pigtailed girl standing atop a ruined house, her eyes shadowed by her bangs as her pigtails blew dramatically in the wind. "Yo Kara!" Luffy greeted with a smile as Takara hopped off the roof, easily landing on her feet. Nami suddenly noticed the girl hadn't gotten off as easily as Luffy had, purple hair messy and her clothes covered in ash and wood chips, although she also lacked injuries like the boy.

"Muu, where's the bastard?" she questioned irritably, her eyes revealed to be narrowed in irritation. Oh how she wanted to rip that man in two for ramming her into a cottage. Nami and Boodle almost shook in fear at the dangerous look on the teen's face.

"Don't know, wanna find him?" Luffy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Muu!" she agreed with a swift nod.

"HOW ARE YOU BOTH ALRIGHT?!" Nami shouted, unable to take it any longer. Luffy blinked in confusion, seeing the stunned looks on his elder's faces as Takara cleaned her ears out, deciding that Zoro's voice wasn't half as loud as the older woman's.

"We got lucky, I guess," he said simply while "Muu, this is nothing," was Takara's reply, the two thinking of chasms, threatening jungles with narrowed eyes, and sharp swords, not-so invisible shivers running down their backs. There was a reason they rarely, if ever, developed bruises and received scratches, even Coby's impressive mark on Takara had already faded the day before back to slightly tanned flesh.

_Wh-What kind of answer is that?!_ Nami thought in shock before grimacing as she crossed her arms. "You don't just get up from attacks like that!" she countered as Luffy contemplated the hole his impact had made, dusting more dust off of him as Takara mimicked his movements.

"Really?" he asked with a trace of confusion.

"Why did you come to this town in the first place?" Boodle questioned, a certain level of unease settling in as he mentally compared these two children's strength to the Buggy Pirates, figuring them to be on the same level at least, if not more powerful. It only left him with more questions about the teens. "What's your relationship to the pirates?"

"All I'm trying to do is create a powerful crew before heading to the Grand Line, especially a good navigator with a charter of the Grand Line," Luffy replied, making Takara shoot him a surprised look at the word 'charter'. This was the first time hearing of such an important clue of her homeland. Casually, he passed by a stunned Nami, leading Takara to quicken her pace, already on the lookout for Mohji and _Fuu_, which she planned on introducing to the beast tamer's lower regions.

Nami was floored. This boy was so stubborn, unable to take a no for an answer, still determined to get her to join his pirate crew, despite her anger at her kind. Add to that, she had admitted to being a thief that preyed on pirates. Why on earth would he want her as part of his crew?

"That weird guy said he was looking for Zoro! We better hurry up and beat him, Kara!" Luffy said with determination, leading the other teen to nod eagerly, the gleam of battle entering her purple orbs. Neither were about to let that teddy-head attack Zoro in his weakened state, it wasn't a sporting match. Besides, they owed that Mohji guy for sending them halfway across the village.

Payback's a bitch, as the fates say.

~~風~~

Back in the village square, ChouChou stood his ground, bravely snarling at the lion that was slowly approaching his shop, not at all intimidated by the large animal. Like hell he was about to let that overgrown feline wreck up his master's precious shop. He growled at the lion, trying to intimidate the much large lion, although this only irritated Richie as he lashed a set of sharp claws, sending the small dog end over end, blood dripping from new scratches. The way now cleared of the pesky canine, Richie slashed at the cheery sign, utterly destroying it before stepping up atop the porch, eager to consume the food he could smell in the air, his jaws salivating.

Drawing on his courage and determination, ChouChou staggered to his feet before darting forward, unable to give up on protecting his treasure. He would not give up-not when he had something he so desperately wanted to defend, recalling those precious memories of his beloved master and best friend.

~~風~~

_Inside the cheerful pet food store that was preparing to launch its grand opening, a tiny white puppy sat on the wooden floor, eagerly yapping at an elderly man as he carefully carried a full, heavy bag of dog food over his shoulder. He wore a red, wool cap over his short, faded purple hair that matched his neatly trimmed beard. His wrinkles showed his impressive age, yet Honker, the man, still had plenty of spring in his steps and his strength hadn't faded either. The puppy's black eyes never left the man as he headed towards a shelf._

"_ChouChou, this shop belongs to the both of us," Honker explained to his pet, smiling as he looked at the puppy, who barked in agreement leading the man to laugh. Wanting to help his master out, the younger ChouChou bounced towards the storage room, digging his minuscule teeth into the corner of a second sack that was at least three times his size. Still, he didn't give up as he fruitlessly tried to drag it across the floor. Honker approached his dog, picking up the puppy to chuckle and beam at him happily._

"_That bag is much too heavy for you, ChouChou," he scowled his dog lightly, all the while chuckling at his helpful pet's actions, pleased to see ChouChou wanted to help._

~~風~~

_On the outskirts of Orange Town, a trail of wagon wheels and paw prints led up to Honker's cart, which was currently stuck in a hole as ChouChou circled it. The elderly man was attempting to remove the vehicle from the hole as ChouChou, now a little older, began to assist his master by pushing at the jammed wheel with his front paws. However, once the cart started moving, ChouChou was launched into the air, yelping in surprise as he landed._

_With a slight laugh, Honker lifted his furry friend into the air, seeing blurry eyes that were dizzy from his dizzying trip as he said, "ChouChou, what would I do if you got hurt? Just let me handle it," he told the puppy, once again putting his friend's wellbeing beyond anything else._

~~風~~

_Honker entered the storage room, only to discover ChouChou flashing his puppy-eyes at him, the reason being obvious. The little dog had chewed at several sacks and a box of dog biscuits and treats, eagerly devouring the contents from the torn containers, the leftover scattered across the ground._

"_Bad ChouChou," Honker scowled his pet. "I told you not to eat the merchandise." Despite his tone, the old man couldn't help the soft smile on his face that showed he was hardly angry at his dearest friend. Instead, he held out a plate filled to the brim of fine meet and lobster, a meal fit for a king, all for him and his dog._

"_Here, let's eat this to celebrate the store's success!" he said with a laugh before he and ChouChou began to chow down, which dissolved into a tug-of-war match between the two of them, playfully fighting over who would get to eat it._

~~風~~

_Honker sat in front of his ChouChou, who was now a fine-looking middle aged hound, patiently waiting for his master and friend to speak. He smiled happily down at his friend, a little older and a little more tired, but nonetheless still a cheerful spirit._

"_ChouChou, I'm going to see the doctor for a check-up, but I'll be back soon enough, so make sure to guard the shop until I return," Honker expressed, patting the dog's head gently before he stood up and stepped out of the shop. ChouChou, without an hesitation, barked promptly, promising his master that the store would be fine. That he would guard the shop with his life._

"_It's all up to you!" Honker's smiling face faded into white, ending the much beloved memories of ChouChou._

~~風~~

ChouChou sunk his teeth into Richie's paw, much harsher and angrily than he had with Luffy, incurring a massive howl of pain from the lion, which threw his head back as he yowled. He was determined, this overgrown, mangy cat would not set one paw inside his store! He wouldn't let his treasure be tarnished, in memory of his Honker. This store was his home, full of those wonderful memories of him and his master, where they had laughed and enjoyed their lives, his promise rooting him deeply to this shop. Even though he knew Honker was dead and would never come home, ChouChou stubbornly refused to break that promise, not until the last breath left his body.

After letting the message sink in, ChouChou removed his fangs and stood between the lion and the store, barking angrily at him, screaming at the lion that he would not let him touch the shop, his teeth bared in warning. Undaunted, Richie struck the dog again, this time with his claws, a deep gash forming on the dog's shoulder. Yet, despite the pain in his body, ChouChou merely stood up again, growling in warning. His master was away from the shop, he was counting on him to defend their treasure, this store they had both made in determination and worked tirelessly for. He stood up on shaking legs and multiple wounds staining his white fur a brownish-red, growling at the lion, which only aggravated Richie more, snarling at the mutt that dared bite his master and stood in his way.

Mohji watched the dog's struggle atop Richie with amusement, a smirk on his face. "Wow. He's still challenging us, despite his wounds." His smirk aggravated ChouChou, who hurled himself forward towards Richie for one last strike, no matter how futile it would be. Richie was much faster and stronger, however, and easily defeated him with one last heavy blow straight at ChouChou's chest, the dog's blood splattering against the bone-shaped sign as he howled in pain, losing the world to darkness and terrible pain.

~~風~~

By the time ChouChou had woken up, the pet food store had been set aflame, after Richie had broken in through the door and ate as much food he could stomach. The rest of the bags of dog food were crumbling due to the intense heat, the contents leaving a foul scent that mixed with the ash and charcoal stench in the air, Honker's chair burning with the rest of it. Poor ChouChou could only stare at his burning treasure as he staggered towards it, leaving a trail of blood paw prints in his wake. In his mind, he could picture Honker holding him as he ecstatically lapped at his face, the older man merrily complained that the licks were ticklish before he suddenly disappeared to ChouChou, leaving him to whine in horror.

It was at that moment that Luffy and Takara reached the scene, only to see the dog barking sadly at his flaming treasure. As the pigtailed girl strapped the retrieved _Fuu_ onto her back once more, they both glanced around the square, notice the splashes of blood and gorges in the solid stone that were evidence of a fight of epic proportions before they turned back to ChouChou. The red blood was obvious against his white-grey fur, which only made his seems sadder as he threw his head back and howled in anguish, in agony at the loss of his treasure, his last link to his wonderful master.

"_Because ChouChou still has a connection to this shop, it's his treasure now. His master left this shop for him to guard and it's all ChouChou has to remember him by, the place is full of memories of their life together."_

Boodle's heartbreaking words echoed in their minds, as did the pained cries of sadness that ripped from ChouChou's wounded heart. Luffy's eyes narrowed in rage as he gritted his teeth, Takara's bangs hiding her eyes as one of her hands clenched. Whatever anger they had held towards Mohji and his large lion, as well as the desire to defeat them to save Zoro, was gone now, instead replaced with utter contempt and fury at the bastards who dared to rip away ChouChou's treasure.

What they had done was unforgivable, and it was doubtful even God would protect them from the teens' wrath now.

~~風~~

Richie strolled down the streets, passing intact houses that were the same height as him as he held aloft a box of dog food for later snacking, while Mohji nursed his wounded hand, cursing silently at the damned dog.

"Shit, I can't believe that mutt actually bit me," he snarled lowly, rubbing away the blood that leaked from the punctures. Still, he had taken his revenge by setting the pet food store that the dog had so valiantly tried to protect on fire, knowing it was worse than killing the dog, considering how much it seemed to care about the store. Mohji sighed as he reminded himself of his task, he needed to find and defeat Roronoa Zoro. The massive lion continued his carefree jaunt, the sound of his steps almost like cannon fire before he stopped in surprise as two figures darted out from an alleyway to stand in the cat's way. Luffy and Takara stood side-by-side staring up at the feline and its master with narrowed eyes of coal and amethyst.

"Hey, didn't I kill you both earlier?" Mohji questioned in slight confusion with a glare at the two of them. He was sure the both of them had hit those houses and those sort of blows would have killed a normal person. But it would see that the two annoying brats had more lives than a cat.

"Sorry, but we're not gonna die _that_ easily," Luffy expressed with a grin, arms crossed over his chest. His smile, however, didn't reach his cold eyes. Takara was the same, one hand resting on her hip while the other rested casually at the top of _Fuu_. Mohji, however, didn't notice their seriousness, only annoyed that the two wouldn't just crumple up and die.

"This time, make sure to bite their heads off, Richie!" he ordered his lion, leaping off the feline's back to allow him more movement. With a roar, Richie dropped the box of pet food, barring his teeth at the teens, eager to sink his fangs into them.

"Like hell we're gonna be beaten by some stupid lion!" Luffy shouted with an eager smirk as Takara leaped away to the side, stretching his arms out. The rubbery limbs twisted, entwining with each like a pair of snakes as they extended forward. The lion and his master were stunned by the show when the hands suddenly latched onto the sides of Richie's head, the grip ridiculously tight. "Gumo Gumo no!" he shouted, leaping into the air, stretching himself to land behind the stunned lion. "Tsuchi!" was the cry as his limbs swiftly unwound, leading to the massive lion to be spun like a top. Using the momentum of his attack, Luffy managed to lift and flip Richie into the air before he was slammed into the ground. Luffy's hat was knocked off of his head due to the artificial wind his move had created, spinning through the air rapidly before landing by his feet.

"RICHIE!" Mohji cried out, weeping tears upon seeing the condition of his friend, only to be relieved to see his body tremble. With a pained yowl, Richie managed to stagger back to his feet, shaking his head to rid this double sight from his eyes, growling dangerously at the rubber brat as he charged once more at the crouching Luffy, his stubbornness overwriting his terror for a moment. That's when Takara jumped forward, holding the opened _Fuu_ outward. With a glare, she jerked the weapon backwards before whipping it forward, her hands swiftly rotating the _tessen_ in a tight spiral.

"Kaze kaze no tsuisutā!" the girl shouted, her actions generating a massive column of swirling air to roar out, slamming directly into the charging lion. Despite his impressive weight, Richie wasn't heavy enough to remain on the ground and was easily shot off by the wind only to be slammed into the ground as Takara directed the weapon upwards before jerking down. Added into the pain from Luffy's earlier strike, Richie's agony-filled introduction to the ground was enough to knock him unconscious.

"NO RICHIE!" Mohji shouted once more, gaping in shock at the two teenagers who had both easily taken his lion out in under ten seconds combined. Takara ended her attack, snapping _Fuu_ shut to rest it on her shoulder like a rifle while Luffy stood up, causing the older man to cower slightly.

"W-What the hell are you?!"

"I ate the Gumo-Gumo no Mi when I was younger," he remarked seriously, his choppy black bangs shading his eyes, making him appear more menacing than he had before. Mohji jerked back, trembling in fear upon hearing that. The boy had been a Devil Fruit User all this time! That put him on a new level of power on his own.

"And I was trained by a monster," Takara echoed, tilting her head back so she could lock her hard eyes onto the horrified man, a sadistic smirk building up on her lips.

"T-Then you have a Devil Fruit ability like Captain Buggy?" Mohji questioned, trying to ease his way afraid from the terribly powered couple. He doubted he could last a minute against either of them, maybe not even that. His best bet was to return to his captain and let him deal with the brats. "I'm sorry for attacking the two of you, I don't want any trouble," he groveled, hoping to get away.

Luffy said nothing for a minute, still hearing ChouChou's painful cries as his treasure burned away in front of his eyes. "There's no need to apologize to me. Because of your actions, that dog's lost his treasure and there's no way for him to ever get it back." With that, Luffy turned around to face Mohji, a glare of epic proportions on his face while Takara's smirk turned positively twisted and warped as she stepped next to her captain. "That's why we're gonna kick your sorry ass," he snarled in a cold voice that would have turned magma to solid ice.

Before Mohji could even attempt to turn tail and flee, Luffy's arm shot out, grabbing the front of his ridiculously furry vest. Recalling his arm to the rest of his body, Luffy prepared a punch while Takara hefted _Fuu _into the air, both eager to beat the man into the ground. Once he was close enough, Luffy used his gained momentum and punched him hard as the pigtailed girl struck her _tessen_ into his head. The double attack sent Mohji to crash into the ground, unconscious before his face even smacked into the stone surface. With a sigh, Luffy stood back up, rubbing his fist while his friend attached _Fuu_ to her back once more before they turned their attention to the sole treats box sitting forlornly on the ground.

~~風~~

By now, ChouChou was silent, already having cried his voice horse and his throat ached terrible, staring quietly at the smolder remains of his master's store, unable to look away. Nami stood beside Boodle, both stare mournfully at the heartbroken dog, her clenched hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Pirates…they're all the same," she spat angrily. "They're all a bunch of heartless bastards that destroy everything that people hold dear without a second thought as they pillage and plunder." Her voice was a blend of anger and sorrow, sorrow for ChouChou, sorrow for this town, sorrow for herself. The sight of ChouChou standing before the wreckage of his precious home and memory of his master struck to close to home for Nami, her hands clenching at her left shoulder, the grip almost painfully tight. ALL pirates were scum, she reminded herself, there were no exceptions.

It was at that moment that Luffy and Takara appeared back in the square, the normally cheerful boy's face blank as his friends as she carried a small box of dog food closed to her chest.

"Oh, you're alive, _pirates_," Nami hissed lowly, pure disgust in her voice as she glared at the approaching pair. "You know, I thought for sure that the lion was going to rip your heads off and I wish it had! If you're going to make a crew that's only going to torment and hurt others, I'll kill you both here!" she screamed in thoughtless anger, attempting to rush at them before Boodle restrained her, seeing the madness in her eyes. Luffy watched with as much emotion as Takara while Nami tried to break free from the mayor. They both knew that she wanted them both dead, her anger directed solely at them as though they were the ones who had burned down the shop, yet it didn't faze them.

"Calm down, there's no need for violence," Boodle said, trying to calm the enraged girl, hoping that she would see some sense.

"Muu, you're nothing," Takara scoffed hauntingly.

"As if you could even kill one of us," Luffy agreed, walking with Takara without looking back at Nami.

"Then fight me! Prove me wrong!" she screamed, wanting so desperately to release her anger at the two of them, the perfect scapegoats to her pain.

"Quit it! What's gotten into you three?!"

The pair kept walking, until they reached the still ChouChou, both of them standing quietly next to the statue-like canine. After a moment, Takara bent down and placed the box of food carefully in front of the dog's line of vision, blocking his view of the ruined shop. With that, she kneeled down on the ground next to him while Luffy plopped down, legs crisscross style as they simply waited with the dog. Nami stopped struggling against Boodle's hold, both shocked to see that Takara, the emotionless _pirate_, and Luffy, her _pirate_ captain, show a simple kindness to the canine. Gently, Takara settled her hand atop ChouChou's head, mindful of his injuries as she sighed.

"Sorry," Luffy said softly. "That's all we could save for you. What they didn't burn-"

"Muu, that bastard lion ate," the pigtailed girl finished simply.

_Those two…fought that lion…just to save a dog's food?_ Nami thought in surprise. Never before had she heard of a pirate risk their life to do something for someone else without asking anything in return, just to make that person feel better. As she gazed at the pair, who were busy complimenting ChouChou's struggle against the lion, Nami felt her expression and heart soften a little bit. Those two…weren't like any pirates she had evern met before, they were just…different.

"If there's one thing something can't take away from you, it's your memories," Takara said, looking down sadly at ChouChou. "Your master may be gone and the store with him, but you'll always have him here." With that, she rested a hand on the left side of ChouChou's chest, right above the beating organ before removing it. "In our hearts, our loved ones aren't gone, they'll be with us forever."

Luffy nodded solemnly. "Yeah, just because we can't see them anymore doesn't mean we have to be sad they aren't here. Be happy! Cause that's what they want us to be!" he cheered, thrusting his hand into the air. ChouChou didn't reply, instead gently hooking his teeth into the box of food and stood up, beginning to walk away from the destroyed store.

Coal and amethyst eyes watched him go, his bloody and ashy body making its way towards a corner before he stopped. Turning to face them once more, ChouChou dropped his parcel to bark four times, the two sets sounding suspiciously like 'Thank you' to Nami, making Luffy beam, the girl hiding her face behind a scarlet fan.

"No problem! Good luck to you too!" Luffy shouted brightly, wheeling his arm in the air while Takara waved the fan at ChouChou in farewell. Barking once more, the canine retrieved his bundle and went on his way, disappearing around the corner. Nami couldn't help but smile at that.

_I suppose…it's not so bad with these two. There's certainly more than meets the eyes with either Luffy or Takara._

~~風~~

"WHAT?! You were defeated?! How!?" Buggy shouted, staring down at his injured first mate in shock at the newly rebuilt base of operations. True, Mohji wasn't a powerhouse, but he could certainly hold his own in a fight and his lion was even more powerful. Yet here he knelt before his captain, blood and bruises covering his form and Richie was collapsed behind him, even more battered than his owner.

"M-My deepest apologies, Captain Buggy," Mohji said, grimacing in pain as he fought the urge to sprawl out into unconsciousness again. The double whammy from those brats had to have given him a concussion at the least, the effects quickly settling in on him.

"Mohji, I can't believe you lost to Roronoa Zoro, despite his wounds," Buggy expressed, automatically assuming that it had been the famous swordsman who had defeated the beast tamer. After all, who else could it have been?

"No, it wasn't Zoro! It was the straw hat boy and that purple pigtailed girl!" Mohji shouted, jerking his aching head back to meet his captain's gaze. He knew better than to underestimate those two devils, something he wished to tell his captain about.

"Nani?! There's no way a brat like him or a skinny bitch could've gotten the better of you," Buggy argued, unable to understand that two teens could have beaten his strongest man. The idea was laughable at best.

"Captain, the girl's very skilled and that boy's not normal, he ate a-"

Before he could warn his captain, Mohji's exhausted and heavily wounded body, coupled with the dizziness brought on by his head injury, couldn't hold on anymore and he dropped like a stone, unconscious once again as he hit the deck.

"I've had enough of this," Buggy snarled, his irritation peaking as his crew watched nervously. "Alright men, bring out the remaining Buggy Balls. I'm going to blast this miserable little town to smithereens!"

~~風~~

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you two. It's just…" Nami broke off her words, embarrassed at the fact she had lost control and yelled at the pair. Luffy, however, merely took it in stride and sent the older girl one of his patent Monkey D. grins.

"That's okay, you're just under a lot of stress," he said, standing up and brushing off his shorts.

"Muu," Takara shrugged, rising to her feet as well, trying to fix her sloppily done pigtails. "Don't apologize for stupid things."

Although she was surprised at the words, Nami nevertheless smiled before she reached forward, clasping a lock of purple, earning a blank look. "Here, I'll help," she said with a smile at the girl, instantly reminded of two other sets of hands running through her hair. After a moment, Takara relented with a nod, letting Nami remove the golden bells carefully, eyes widening at their heavy weight, before pulling half of the long hair into a bundle. A minute later, she stepped back and the younger teen shook her head from side to side, checking how firmly fixed her new pigtails were. She swiftly sent two thumbs up at Nami, giving her approval while Luffy beamed, happy to see his helmswoman getting along with their, hopefully, navigator.

"I'm pathetic," Boodle said, suddenly catching everyone's attention, his hands tightly clenched. "ChouChou and you two have fought so hard for this town and yet, I the mayor was completely powerless to save this town!" As he talked, he worked himself up, his voice steadily growing louder and louder. The three teens managed to exchange a look before themselves before they all ran over to calm the older man down, knowing that it would be a suicide run for Boodle if he ran into battle recklessly.

"Calm down, it's not that bad," Nami expressed.

"Forty years ago, this whole island was nothing but a barren, rugged land. We all worked together to clear the land to make way for fields of our crops, we opened, stores and built everything from the ground up, building a community. This town and its people are my treasures! I refuse to let Buggy and his despicable crew terrorize us any longer!" he shouted passionately, determined to stand up against Buggy, even at the cost of his life.

Seeing the utter conviction in those eyes, Luffy and Takara backed away. They knew there was no arguing with that stubbornness if they wanted to, besides they didn't want to. It was his fight, for this was his home and his treasure he was going to fight and no doubt die for. They had no right to take that away from him. That didn't mean though, that they wouldn't no assist him.

But before Luffy could open his mouth to promise the older man help from himself and Takara, who would have nodded without a word, a sudden blast sounded as another Buggy Ball was fired. The terrible of sickly yellow blinded the group, debris raining down all around them, leading them to raise their hands around their heads. After the downpour of wood fragments had ended, they looked up to see that a nearby section of Orange Town had been obliterated. The location, however, made Luffy and Takara's eyes widen in horror.

"He'll destroy everything," Boodle moaned sadly, seeing the ruined remains of his own house not far away. Nami hummed softly, glancing over to check on the other teens only to gasp at their stunned faces. Luffy shouted in shock and Takara made a strange sound, like an animal being stepped on.

"NO! Zoro was sleeping in there!" he screamed, taking off towards the wreckage of the mayor's house with Takara by his side. The pair instantly began to shift through the wreckage, eyes searching for three swords or a flash of green hair. "Zoro? Zoro! Can you hear me? Where are you?!"

"Muu! _Baka tenshi_! Say something!"

"There's no way he could have survived," Boodle said softly, sad that he had to be the one to inform the pair and Nami winced a bit.

"SHUT UP!" The scream was expected, but not the person. Takara's face wasn't as expressionless as before, her entire body shivering angrily her face set in a stony glare with gritted teeth. "He lasted three weeks without food and constant beatings, there's no way he'd keel over and die like this!" With shaking shoulders she shook her head swiftly, her eyes prickling slightly while Luffy set a hand on her shoulder. Even if it had only been a few days, they had grown close to the older man, sure he was irritated and loud, but he was still kind and just as eager for adventure as they were. He just couldn't be... Nami clenched her hand once more, unable to look at the pained gazes of black and purple when suddenly…

"Oi, that's one hell of a way to wake a guy up," a grouching voice called out making Luffy gasp and Takara to stand stock still before they jerked their heads back to see a pile of timber being shoved aside, the familiar green haired man irritably glaring at his surroundings. "I could use a few more Z's and what was with all the shouting?" he questioned irritably.

"ZORO!" Luffy cheered while Takara gave a loud "MUU!" and both launched themselves forward, knocking the swordsman over with a groan. He was about to snap at them, but then the girl pressed her head directly into the crook of his neck and he felt her trembling body, filled with suppressed tears as Luffy clung to him tighter than a monkey to a banana, feeling their almost tangible relief. He silently accepted it, resting a hand onto Takara's head, awkwardly petting it, earning a rumbly sound from the girl that was almost like…a purr? While still disoriented from the blast and their surprising hug, he nevertheless couldn't help but feel…content as he wrapped an arm around the helmswoman before he remembered the situation he was currently in.

"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" He shouted angrily, letting his arms drop from around the girl while shoving his captain off, a mighty blush on his face as Takara looked up at him blankly. "WHY ARE YOU TWO HUGGING ME?!"

"Muu, we thought you'd died," she replied tightening her hold, as if she hugged his on a daily basis, which only made his more furiously embarrassed as Zoro's cheeks turned scarlet as he shouted back at her, Luffy laughing all the while.

"How the hell isn't he dead?" Nami questioned, watching the scene questionably. That kind of direct blast should have killed a normal man. She glanced at the injury-free captain and pigtailed girl. _Is this entire crew filled with monsters? _She couldn't help but question. Still, Nami still noticed the blush on the famous swordsman's face as he shouted at the stone-faced sailor suit girl, leading the thief to smirk. She could already tell they'd be a great couple.

"This is unforgivable," Boodle said, hands tight against his sides as he watched the touching reunion, and sequential argument, between the three teens. "I've had enough, I won't let him get away with this! They have no right to destroy our forty years of hard work! I'm the mayor of Orange Town. It's my responsibility to protect the town! I WILL PROTECT THIS TOWN AND IT'S INHABITENTS! I PROMISE WITH MY DYING BREATH!" As he was about to run off on his suicidal run with spear in hand, Nami grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"W-Wait a second, mayor, you can't defeat Buggy on your own," she said with exasperation, a pounding headache hammering her head. Nami guessed she'd need psychological help after the day ended.

"Perhaps, but there are some fights that a man can't run from, isn't that right?!" Boodle questioned, turning to face Luffy, Takara, and Zoro. The swordsman had finally gotten the girl off of him and was currently being helped to his shaking feet by both her and Luffy. Throughout the mayor's tirade, they had listened carefully with varying expressions of seriousness, but now Luffy donned on a confident, inspiring smile.

"It sure is old man!" the cheerful straw hat shouted, while Takara nodded with _Arashi_ pressed against her lips, understanding what it mean to protect what you treasured.

"Shut up you two! It's dangerous for him to fight Buggy alone!" Nami shouted angrily, unable to understand why the two teens were encouraging the man when he'd only die in the struggle. Meanwhile, Boodle's old heart swelled at the confidence and assurance he heard in that reply, bowing his head slightly.

"I know it's dangerous!" he cried at Nami, surprising the girl so much that her grip loosened enough for him to wrench himself free. Without any further prompting he took off, spear held aloft as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Prepare yourself, Buggy the Clown!" He rounded the corner, leaving a stunned Nami with the trio of pirates, all watching the small cloud of dust settle where the mayor had disturbed in his run, all knowing how a fight between him and Buggy would end. He knew it as well, that he could never hope to defeat him, but that didn't mean he couldn't try.

"Was the mayor…crying?" Nami asked softly, not sure if she could have mistaken those droplets of liquid streaming down the man's cheeks she had seen just before he disappeared.

"Huh, I didn't notice," Luffy said, shrugging his shoulders as he and Takara watched the spot that Boodle had once stood, spying the tiny wet spots that quickly disappeared in the sun.

"Looks like the party just got more exciting," Zoro remarked, trying to save face after getting Takara off of him, despite the slight part of him that enjoyed it.

"Yeah! Shishishi!" Luffy chuckled, the familiar laugh making the swordsman grin before he froze at a sound that leaked from behind a scarlet fan.

"Muufufufu."

Stunned, Zoro and Nami jerked around to spy Takara's half-lidded eyes curled up with a glint, the unique giggle suiting her. After a moment, Zoro smirked again, throwing his head back to laugh. If the stoic girl was snickering, that obviously meant a great fight was on its way. They were ready for anything, to tackle what problems came there way as they decided to help Boodle defend his treasure.

Nami broke out of her shock to stare at all three incredulously, believing that they were all being idiots to not realize the seriousness of the situation. "This is no laughing matter! We have to do something before he gets hurt!"

Luffy turned to face the navigator to make eye contact, his smile turning completely serious. "Don't worry, I like the old man. I won't let him die."

"Muu, reminds me of Woop Slap," his helmswoman agreed, both their minds turning back to the mayor of Luffy's home village. Zoro turned his attention to the younger pair of teens, sensing that they were being completely serious. He shrugged, resting his right hand on the hilts of his swords as he set out in the same direction that Boodle had headed, Takara tapping along.

"I guess its captain's orders, huh?" he inquired to the girl, who swiftly nodded.

"You're still going?!" Nami shouted sharply, stunned. "But you're injured!"

Zoro only smirked as he tightly tied his green-black bandana around his forehead, a determined light within his eyes blazing. "The injury to my body…is nothing compared to the injury to my reputation and pride would receive if I were defeated!" Nami blankly stared at him, unable to comprehend something like that.

"Muu, men," Takara said simply, a sweat drop rolling down the side of her head, sympathizing with the older woman although she also understood what he meant. A swordsman's honor meant everything to them, more than their own lives sometimes, and would do anything to defend them. Luffy nodded, knowing the pride of a male quite well.

"Besides, we're have to go there anyways," Luffy explained. "Since we plan on going to the Grand Line, we're going to have to steal that charter from Buggy." He then turned to Nami, a large grin blossoming on his face as he stretched out a hand to her. "So, you gonna be our navigator and _nakama_ or what? C'mon!"

"I'll never sink as low as to become a pirate," Nami huffed as she slapped away the boy's hand, causing Zoro to promptly recalling, (was it only a few days ago, he couldn't help but question, it felt a lifetime ago), when he had said the same thing. Luffy's face crumbled a bit and Takara's purple orbs dimmed slightly. Their falling expressions made Nami hasten, her heart winning over her mind, to add quickly, "But I suppose we can team up in order to achieve our common goals." Luffy's face immediately brightened and he cheered, thrusting a fist into the air while Takara snapped up _Arashi_ to mask her face, but her pleased eyes said it all.

Finally, they had their navigator and they all shared one common goal: Kick Buggy's ass to the moon.

~~風~~

"Ready to fire at my command," Buggy ordered his men back atop his outpost, glaring hatefully at the town that he was preparing to raze to the ground in retribution for his first mate's injuries. He opened his mouth to order the shot to fire when someone shouted, breaking his concentration.

"Come on out, Buggy the Clown!" Curious and a little peeved that someone dared to interrupt his demolition of Orange Town, the flamboyantly dressed captain leaned over the building and blinked at what he saw. An old man in old brown leather armor stood panting below him, a wooden spear in his hands. Stealing his courage, the determined elderly man began to shout once more, despite being out of breath from his run to the pub.

"I'm Mayor Boodle! This town is my treasure and I refuse to let you continue to terrorize us any longer! Fight me!" he shouted, his voice full of determination and conviction.

"Are you an idiot?" Buggy snapped, glaring at the man. "This town is hardly a treasure. Treasure is gold, silver, and jewels so cut the crap and leave before I kill you!" The clown was getting a headache from all these interruptions and complications.

"The likes of you would never be able to understand my feelings," Boodle replied, disgusted at the pirate's greed and utter lack of understanding what was truly important, almost feeling pity for him before his oxygen was cut off. He choked as Buggy's separated hand slowly began to strangle him, raising the mayor into the air as the pirate laughed evilly, watching the pained expression with sadistic glee.

"Gyahahaha! I'm going to conquer the Grand Line and flashily amass all the treasure of the world and there's nothing the likes of you can do to stop my destiny! All the world will belong to me! Since this town is so important to you though, perhaps I should do you a favor and blow you to bits along with the rest of this miserable hovel," Buggy remarked with a laugh with a wicked grin. He would deal with the man quickly before he resumed his efforts to find Zoro and extract punishment from him, along with the straw hat kid and those two bitches.

"Q-Quit your 'gah' blabbering and 'gurf' fight me!" Boodle shouted, despite his incapacitated state. He knew all too well how this would play out for him, but he refused to give up!

"Don't get cocky."

"I'll never let you destroy this town, even if it costs me my life 'ugh!'" Boodle managed to say, despite being strangled, leading Buggy to chuckle evilly.

"So be it," Buggy replied, moving to end the man's life but before he could move he was overcome with pain. His hand had been forcibly removed from around Boodle's neck and was being painfully gripped, the bone twisted in a strong grip. He glanced down only to gasp upon seeing a familiar straw hat.

"It's the straw hat guy!" he snarled in anger, his rage boiling once more. Luffy stood before the gasping mayor, Buggy's hand locked in a deadlock as he crushed it painfully. Nami was quickly helping Boodle to his feet while Zoro and Takara stood to either side of their captain, the man grinning with bloodthirsty delight at the prospect of a fight while Takara remained indifferent, pressing _Arashi_ to hide a smirk.

Luffy lifted his head to meet Buggy's shocked and angered glare, the classic, maniac Monkey D. grin plastered across his face like a billboard, eyes sparking with determination. He was focused on one sole goal at the moment, one he shared with his two crewmates:

"Yo, I'm here to kick your ass, just as promised!"

~~風~~

_Luffy: Huh? Now there's some weird swordsman or something._

_Takara: Muu, this is why I hate the circus._

_Zoro: I'll clash swords with him._

_Luffy: Huh? You sure, you're still injured._

_Zoro: I'll show you our difference in level!_

_Luffy: Cool!_

_Zoro: My ambition is to be the world's greatest swordsman! I can't afford to lose to anyone who calls himself a swordsman!_

_Takara: Muu, that's fine, but who'll I fight-_

_Yozora: Actually, the readers will be deciding who you will be fighting! More information will be listed below._

_Takara: …You're joking, right muu?_

_Luffy: Next time on One Piece: True Treasure. Battle of the Circus! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!_

_Takara: Muu! You didn't answer me! Yozora!_

~~風~~

That's it folks! End of the chapter and important information! I'm looking for an OC for Takara to fight in the next chapter. I will be accepting applications from now to till the 24st of this month, so a week from today, that's the deadline. From there, I'll decide which character makes the cut and win the appearance. Even if you're not accepted in that drawing, I will try to have each OC have a minor appearance sometime in this story. This won't be the last time I offer this in my story, I'll have to look for a CP9 OC once Water 7 arc comes along but that's a ways off. Here's the application~

**Name:**

**Gender:**

**Age:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Likes:**

**Dislikes:**

**Relationships:**

**Back story (can be any length, but the size of the back story isn't the sole reason I'll make a character the winner):**

**Fighting style/Weapon of choice:**

**Devil Fruit or Not (note: if you do include a Devil Fruit, it must be one of your own creation that doesn't belong to any other character as only one person can have one Devil Fruit power):**

**Trivia:**

**Please be aware, if your OC is accepted to be the character of the day as part of the Buggy Pirates crew, then they shall remain a Buggy Pirate. You can try and PM me later if you'd like them to break apart at a later date, but unless that happens, they will be with the Buggy Pirates indefinitely. If they'll make more appearance as time goes on, I'll try to get in more contact with you.**

Thanks so much!

~~風~~

There a several characters that have distinctive laughs in the One Piece universe, Luffy being a prominent example. So of course I had to tailor a snicker for Takara as well, which is a combination of her weapon and her verbal tic.

_Kaze-Kaze Konagona ni Kaze_-Translating into 'wind-wind, shattering wind'

_Kaze kaze no tsuisutā_- A move meaning 'wind-wind twister', Takara utilizes _Fuu _by spinning the _tessen_ in a tight circle, generating a burst of spiraling wind. Depending on how fast or loose she spins it, Takara makes twisters in varying sizes that have a multitude of uses.

Also, I'm changing a few things up with the anime. It made me a little peeved that Zoro knew how to cut metal so early on in the arcs. That's an important moment in the swordsman's growth in his skills! So yes, Zoro currently does not know how to slice through steel, although he might learn how to do it faster since Takara's here to teach him.

~~風~~


End file.
